Drag Me From Darkness
by EchoArtemis
Summary: Blake is haunted by her past. Jaune is haunted by the present. Both are trapped in never ending darkness. Will it swallow them whole, or will they stand together and find the light they need to survive.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone. I had this idea bouncing around inside my head for a while now, and I finally have some time to write it. I've always been intrigued by Blake/Jaune pairing, even though they have very little interaction in the show. They're complete opposites, yet I feel their personalities would complement each other.**

 **The story takes place right after volume two. There will be some violence and gore in some chapters, hence the teen rating. I hope you like it.**

 **I don't own anything.**

* * *

Blake's POV

 _I'm floating. No, not floating. It's more painful than that. I'm hanging. My arms are chained above my head, my body swaying limply from the ceiling. My feet forever out of reach of the ground. My hands have gone numb from the strain. My mouth feels like sandpaper. The only thing I've had to drink in what feels like days, is my own blood as it poured from my nose and passed my lips. The taste of copper still lingers on my tongue. The smell of rotten flesh invades my nose._

 _I try to scream, but my voice is lost to me. I can no longer hear. I can't breathe. I can't see. The only thing convincing me that I'm not dead is the constant pain. My skin burns with fever, my broken bones ache. Nothing is untouched by the pure agony. And from the depths of my pain a single thought exists. A wish. And I wish for it over and over again in my head. I've never wanted something so desperately in my entire life._

 _I don't wish for escape. I don't want freedom. As I dangle in the darkness, the only thing I wish for is death. I don't want to survive this. Survival means I have to continue living with this pain, and pain like this can't possibly heal. No matter how much time passes. But death doesn't come. It abandons me, like everything and everyone else, and I'm left with nothing. I don't know how long I've been here, in this hell, but it doesn't really matter. Time means nothing, because this is my forever._

I wake up gasping as my mind pulls itself from the suffocating nightmare it was trapped in. I panic for a moment as I try to make sense of what's happening. I sit up quickly, my body shaking erratically. I look at my surroundings, my eyes adjusting instantly to the darkness. I'm sitting, safe in my bed, at Beacon. As safe as I can be with a bed balancing above me on only a few books.

I can hear the steady breathing of my three teammates as they sleep soundly in our dorm room, undisturbed by my dream. The scent of dust and sweat hangs in the air. We had been so tired after our mission at Mountain Glenn and the incident with the train, we collapsed onto our beds as soon as we reached our room. We didn't even bother to change our clothes. I still have flecks of blood on my shirt from a close call with a Grimm.

I close my eyes and focus on my breathing in an attempt to slow it. Similar to the breathing exercise that I use in my training. I gradually begin to calm down. I try to push all thoughts of the dream from my mind, but it refuses to leave me. Old memories I try to keep buried flash through my head, making me cringe. I haven't had that nightmare in months, why is it haunting me now?

"You're not there anymore. It's in the past." I whisper to myself, as if I need convincing. I open my eyes. I don't feel much better. My muscles are tense, and my senses are on high alert. Sleep is not even an option at this point. In fact, I feel like never sleeping again if it means avoiding that nightmare. I glance at the clock. Three in the morning. I sigh. It's going to be a long day.

I feel something wet hit my hand. I then feel the same dampness on my face. I'm crying. When did I start crying? I quickly wipe the tears away, but more take their place. My mind and body too exhausted to hide my long buried emotions.

I silently get out of bed and head for the door. I don't want to risk my teammates waking up and seeing me so…so weak. And I don't feel like explaining myself. Besides, I could really use some fresh air. The cool night air should help me ground myself back to reality, and remind me that I'm safe again, instead of trapped in the darkness.

* * *

 **Jaune's POV**

I slip out of my dorm room as quietly as I can and step out into the hallway. I slowly close the door behind me. Its hinges groan and squeak as it snaps shut, making me wince. I stand quietly in the hall for a few seconds, listening for signs that I woke my teammates. As the silence stretches on and no one opens the door to follow me, I realize that managed to make it out undetected. I sigh in relief. I really need some time alone to think.

I start walking down the hall. I don't really have a destination in mind, but I was too restless to stay in bed any longer. The rest of my team passed out as soon as we got to our room, but I spent all night wide awake, despite being exhausted. My mind just wouldn't let me sleep. I keep thinking about what happened yesterday.

The battle against the Grimm was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Seeing those Grimm in the middle of the city, attacking all those helpless people. I rushed into the fight without a second thought. My only concern had been to save who ever I could, I wasn't even thinking about myself. In that moment, for the first time since I came to Beacon, I felt like I could actually do this. I could be a huntsman. I could be a hero.

Unfortunately, that hopeful feeling was crushed by another worry. When my team and I first show up to the fight, Pyrrha had taken the lead, commanding the team. And Ren and Nora followed her orders without a second thought. It made me realize that I wasn't really the leader of JNPR. Yes, I was the leader on paper, but in the eyes of my teammates, no.

They were fine with letting me lead in practice, but as soon as we were in a real fight, they turned to Pyrrha. I don't blame them. Pyrrha is amazing. And me, well compared to Pyrrha I'm a joke. Why would anyone one follow my lead when they could follow Pyrrhas'. I not mad about it or anything. It just hurts to know that Pyrrha doesn't trust me enough to lead, and Ren and Nora don't trust me enough to follow. And I have no idea how I can gain that trust.

I continue walking for a while before I decide that I could use some fresh air. I shuffle up the stairs and head to the roof. A cool breeze hits me as I open the door that leads to the roof. It's colder than I thought it would be, but I am only wearing a t-shirt and shorts. I rub my arms to keep warm and walk out to the railing, with only the broken moon above to guide my steps. I grab the railing and look over. It's a dizzyingly long way to the ground below. Just looking makes my head spin. I close my eyes and groan. No wonder my team doesn't trust me. I can't even stand on a stupid roof without nearly passing out. I'm such a loser, I'm nothing but a…a.

"Coward." I whisper out loud.

"Who?" a voice questions to my left. I jump about a foot into the air and release a girlish scream. I could have sworn I was alone. I quickly look to see who had snuck up on me. It takes my eyes a minute to focus on the figure through the darkness, but I relax after a moment when I see a pair of familiar yellow eyes looking at me. Blake.

She's sitting on the railing just a few feet away from me. Her ebony hair swirling softly around her face as the wind twirls it. She has an eyebrow raised and an almost undetectable smile pulls at her lips. Under the moonlight, her skin looks almost ghostly.

"Blake?!" I gasp, taking a deep breath to calm myself. "You shouldn't sneak up on a person like that!"

"I didn't." she say, turning her gaze away from me and back out into the darkness.

"Then why did I just have a heart attack?" I ask.

"Because you weren't paying attention." she answers.

"It's not my fault you're a ninja." I say. I wait for her to respond, but after a stretch of silence, it's clear she doesn't intend to. I sigh. "How'd you sneak passed without me noticing anyway?"

"I didn't." she says. I stare at her, waiting for her to elaborate. She glances at me and sighs. "I was already here when you walked up." She says. I gape at her.

"No way." I say. "I would have seen you."

"I've been sitting here for at least an hour." She says.

"But…how?" I stammer.

"It's dark, you're tired, and from the way you looked when you first walked up here, I'd say you've got something weighing on your mind." she says while looking straight ahead. I open my mouth to speak, but I'm at a loss for words. So instead I just turn and lean against the railing and join Black in looking out into the darkness.

"So umm… what about you?" I manage to ask after a few wordless minutes.

"What about me?"

"What are you doing out hear in the middle of the night?" I ask. She doesn't answer. I look at her out of the corner of my eye. Most of her face is shielded by her hair, but as the wind shifts it around, I notice how her eyes are shimmering in the moonlight, and I realize it's from tears. She's been crying. I can see the light dampness on her cheeks.

I've never seen Blake show much emotion before. However, this _is_ the most time I've ever spent with Blake, despite being around her and her team so much. In fact, this is the most we've ever talked. I don't know her all that well, but something tells me she wouldn't want me to point out that I noticed she's been crying. And from the rigid way she's holding herself, it's clear she doesn't want me here.

"I should head back and try to get some sleep." I say. Blake gives a short nod in response. "Okay. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." I turn and start to walk away, but each step forward feels like more and more of a struggle. My head is telling me to just let Blake be, but my heart is telling me it's wrong to leave her alone and crying.

Half way to the door I spin around and march back up to Blake. I've never been one to listen to my head. If I had listened to my head, I would never have come to Beacon in the first place. And despite all the problems I face, I love it here.

"I was talking about me." I say without thinking.

"What?" she asks. Her brow raised again.

"When I first came up here. I said coward and you asked who. Well, I was talking about myself." I say. She doesn't answer right away, and I began to think that I'll be left with another silent response.

"Why would you call yourself a coward?" she asks softly. Her tone surprises me. It's full of sadness.

"Well…. Because I am." I say. "Everyone can see it."

"I can't." says Blake.

"Yeah right." I say bitterly. "Everyone has seen me scared and shaking at one time or another. And that was only when I forgot to hide it. If you knew how many times in a single day I got scared, you wouldn't be able to deny that I'm a coward. No wonder my team doesn't believe in me."

"A win without adversity, is not a win at all." Says Blake.

"Say what?" I asked confused.

"You can't win a fight without something to fight against." She says. "Just like you can't be courageous without first being scared."

"So you're saying that I'm not a coward _because_ I'm scared." I say.

"Not exactly." She says. "Everyone feels fear Jaune. It's how you react to that fear that defines who you are. Do you run and hide? Or do you fight despite the fear you feel."

"I think I get it, but I'd much rather not be afraid at all."

"It's that fear that makes you truly impressive." Says Blake.

"H…How so?" I blush slightly at her compliment.

"If a person never feels fear, they can never really be brave. Bravery is born from fear. That's why you're not even close to being a coward. No matter how much fear you feel, you never hesitate. You risk everything to help others." She says. "So don't call yourself a coward, because it just isn't true."

I feel the weight on my shoulders lighten. I had never thought about myself in the way Blake had just describe. Does feeling fear really not make me a coward? Blake certainly seems to think so.

"Thanks." I say.

"I was only stating the facts." She say. I look at her. I no longer see tears in her eyes, and she seems less tense with my presence.

"Do you ever get scared?" I ask. She sighs and looks up at the sky.

"Yes."

"So you're brave too then?" I say with a smile.

"No. I'm not." She says. I frown.

"Why not?" I ask.

"Because I don't always stay and fight." She says. "Sometimes, I run and hide."

"I've never seen you run and hide. Not once since I've met you."

"You haven't known me that long." She whispers.

"You're right. I have no idea who you were in the past." I say. "But I know you now. And right now, you're brave."

"Thank you. For seeing me that way." She says.

"Just stating the facts." I say. She smiles and shakes her head. We sit quietly for a while. It's nice. I feel better, and I think maybe Blake does too.

"A nightmare." Blake says suddenly.

"What?" I ask.

"You asked me why I was out here in the middle of the night. It's because I had a nightmare."

"It must have been bad for you to come all the way up here." I say.

"Yeah, well, none of my dreams are that pleasant, but I usually don't let them get to Me." she says. "I don't know why I was so bothered by it tonight."

"Maybe it had something to do with crashing a train into the middle of the city yesterday."

"Yeah, maybe." She says. "But it's only a dream. Getting so upset over it. It makes me feel weak."

"Letting yourself feel something doesn't make you weak."

"I shouldn't let something that isn't really happening make me….. I shouldn't let things that don't matter affect me so much."

"Maybe you should." I say.

"What?"

"Maybe you should. I mean, is it so bad to just let yourself feel things everyone once in a while?"

"It is if those feelings are less then enjoyable." She say.

"Even if the feelings are negative ones, I think it's good just to let them take over now and then. If you just keep pushing them away and bottling them up, you'll explode and fall apart. Or worse, you'll stop feeling anything at all." I say.

"Sometime not feeling anything doesn't sound too bad." She say. I look at her and think of all the times she sat emotionless while everyone around her was expressing every emotion under the sun. Was she trying to stop herself from feeling anything at all, just so she wouldn't feel the bad?

"You have to take the bad with the good Blake. There are tons of negative feelings that we all could live without. But if we stopped feeling the bad stuff, then we'd stop feeling the good things too. A single moment of happiness or love is worth a hundred bad moments. Those times when we're overwhelmed with joy makes everything else worth it." I say.

"I didn't realize you were so philosophical Jaune." She says with a slight laugh.

"Oh I'm not. I was just…. You know."

"Stating the facts?" she says with a smile.

"Exactly." I say. We sit next to each other in a comfortable silence. I glance at Blake now and then. She has a gentle smile resting on her face. And as we watch the sun slowly work its way above the horizon, I can't help but to feel grateful that I never listen to my head.

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 **So should I keep going? Leave a Review and tell me what you think.**

 **-Echo Artemis**


	2. Chapter 2

**Emperor Of Time, Gabriel Caellum, Robbie748, ramlin, Cabbage Cabrera, TheRealMcLovin, theycallmebeanz, fer gp, IWEYC, TheRockafellerDank, RinShade, metalknight10, jakillking999, ander1998, Nero's rose, and guests.**

 **Thank you all so much for your reviews! I hope you all continue to enjoy the story.**

 **I don't own anything.**

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Blake's POV

"This Suck!" yells Yang. I look over at her as we walk across Beacon's large campus. She's frowning deeply, her eyes threatening to turn red. I glance to my right at Ruby and Weiss. Ruby's shoulders are slumped, her feet drag slowly with each step. Weiss's arms are crossed over her chest, her signature glare plastered on her face.

We've just left an impromptu assembly that Ozpin had announced this morning. He wanted to talk about the attack that happened yesterday. He instructed all the students to stay safe and to keep an eye out for anything unusual. He then said that due to the chaos caused by the attack, classes were canceled for the rest of the week. Everyone had been happy about that, but then came the bad news.

He told us that all the Kingdoms were investigating what happened, and that they collectively decided that until they knew more, it wasn't safe to continue with the festival. So the Vytal Festival and tournament was canceled, and rescheduled to happen at the end of next semester. The entire auditorium exploded with protest. Ozpin had quickly put an end to the uproar and told us that the decision was final, and then he dismissed us. We had slowly made are way out of the building, and now we were wandering around outside. Mostly because Yang is too angry to sit still.

"It is a bit disappointing." I say.

"A bit disappointing! It's more than a bit disappointing." Yang shouts.

"I have to agree." Says Weiss. "We've been training quite hard for the tournament. Everyone has. It seems a little extreme to cancel the entire event."

"They might know something we don't. Something that could put lives at risk if they continued with the festival." I say.

"I can't believe you're not upset that it's canceled! Did you even _want_ to compete in the tournament!?" Yang yells at me. Her misplaced anger doesn't faze me. I've been her partner long enough to know how passionate she can get about things. Her strong emotions can make her act impulsively. Most of the time it's rather endearing.

"I never said I wasn't upset. In fact, I was really looking forward to the tournament. All I was saying is that I don't think they would cancel it unless it was absolutely necessary." I say calmly. Yang releases a loud sigh.

"I know." She groans. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm just upset, and the last thing I want to hear is reason."

"Well then I'll try to keep all reasonable thoughts to myself." I say, grinning slightly. Yang chuckles and shakes her head.

"I suppose there's no point to getting upset about it. It's not like we can do anything about It." says Weiss.

"Maybe we could do some more investigating! If we could figure everything out maybe they would un-cancel the festival." Says Ruby. Her eyes start shining brightly as she thinks about her plan.

"Oh no. We are not investigating anything. Don't you remember what happened last time, or did you hit your head when we came crashing into Vale on a runaway train." Says Weiss.

"But…" Ruby tries to protest, but Weiss cuts her off.

"No buts. I say let the authorities handle it. They have the manpower, skill, and knowledge to take care of things. They can do way more than we ever could." Says Weiss.

"Weiss is right Ruby. As much as I would like to be out there fighting, I think we need to take a step back. For now anyway." I say.

"But they delayed the tournament for _six_ months! We'll practically be second year students by then." Says Ruby.

"Like I said, this sucks." Says Yang. I hum in agreement.

"So what now?" asks Ruby.

"For now, we smother our disappointment with food." Says Yang. "I'm starving." We all head to the cafeteria for lunch. The dining hall isn't too crowded yet, so we quickly move to the front of the line and start filling our plates.

"Look! There's JNPR, let's go." Says Ruby. She starts leading us to the table where she spotted our friends.

I think back to the conversion I had with Jaune this morning. I can't help but feel a bit nervous. I hadn't meant to reveal so much to him. I hadn't felt like talking at all. I had wanted to be alone. When Jaune first walked up, I kept silently praying that he would leave. I didn't want him or anyone else to see me so vulnerable. I was sure he could tell that I'd been crying. I kept waiting for him to point out my tears. But he never did.

He suddenly started to open up, to me of all people. His words were honest and he openly showed me his feelings without fear. It surprised me, and also saddened me. Jaune always seemed so happy and carefree. Even though he's a bit clumsy and silly, I always saw him as naturally heroic, and not one to question his choice to become a huntsmen. Unlike me.

As we talked, I found myself relaxing, and without meaning to, I opened up to Jaune as well. It seemed so effortless at the time. The conversion just flowed between us. Usually, I dislike talking about myself, it makes me uncomfortable. But Jaune, somehow, made it easy. Almost necessary. I felt completely unjudged by him. In fact, I felt better after speaking with him. Less hollow. But what about now? Will he treat me differently? I'm not use to letting my guard down with people, I'm not sure what to expect.

We reach the table and take our seats. I end up being left with the seat right across from Jaune, because the universe apparently thought it'd be fun to mess with me. He looks up as I set my plate down. I reflexively hold my breath when our eyes meet. He smiles widely and waves. I relax instantly and smile back. I feel a bit silly. I don't know Jaune that well, but I feel I know him a bit better after last night. And the person I spoke to last night would never treat me differently because I let my emotions show.

"Hello team RWBY!" says Nora loudly, in her usual happy manner.

"Hey." Says Ruby, putting down at her plate.

"Looks like you guys are upset about the festival as well." Says Pyrrha.

"Yeah, we're pretty bummed." Say Yang.

"I can relate. I was excited for the tournament. It's been awhile since I've gotten to compete in one." Says Pyrrha.

"It's totally awful. What are we going to do Ren!?" Norra shouts wildly as she grabs on to Ren, preventing him from giving her an actual answer. As the conversation carries on around me, I notice that Jaune is being unusually quiet. Most of the time he has his fair share to add, but right now he's being as silent as, well me. He's just sitting there, playing with his food.

I'm reminded of something he said last night. _No wonder my team doesn't believe in me._ Does he really feel that way? Could he be keeping his opinion to himself because he thinks his teammates wouldn't have his back? He shouldn't feel that way. He should feel like his team will believe in him no matter what. I'm confident that my team believes in me, despite the rocky start we had. It suddenly feels very important to me that Jaune feels the same way.

"What about you Jaune?" I find myself asking him without thinking. Everyone goes quiet. Probably because I spend most of our meals together in silence, and also, I think this is the first time I've ever spoken to Jaune directly. At least in front of everybody.

"Um….what?" he asks.

"How do you feel about the festival being canceled?" I ask.

"Oh. Well I….um." he looks around nervously. He locks eyes with me. I nod, silently urging him to just be honest. He clears his throat. "Well, truthfully, I'm glad it was canceled."

"What!" severally people shout. Mostly Ruby and Nora.

"Why?" I ask calmly, tuning out the sounds of protest coming from the others. Jaune follows my lead, ignoring the others and focusing on answering me instead.

"Because it's a good opportunity." He says, with a bit more confidence.

"How so?" I ask. Everyone else gets quiet and starts to listen to Jaune's reasoning.

"The tournament is six months away now. We've been given an extra six months to train. To get stronger, to get better, to have more experience with us when we walk into that arena." He says. I smile, unsurprised by his view on the situation.

"You're right." Says Pyrrha. "I didn't think of it that way."

"There are a few moves I wished I had time to learn before the tournament, guess now I can." Says Weiss.

"Yeah! Now I can work on my exploding hammer ninja pancake crush move." Says Nora.

"Oh no." groans Ren.

"There are a few improvements I can add to Crescent Rose." Says Ruby.

"We should start training right now!" says Yang. "We don't have classes for the next few days, we shouldn't let that time go to waste."

"Yeah! Let's go!" shouts Ruby. I watch as the two sisters' jump up from the table and run out the door.

"But what about lunch?" Weiss asks to the air, then sighs. "Come on Blake, we better go after them and make sure they don't do anything stupid." She stands up and starts to follow after our teammates. Before I leave, I look at Jaune one last time. He's smiling brightly as his team discusses a new training strategy. He looks up at me.

" _Thank you._ " He mouths. I'm surprised, I'm not sure why he would thank me, but I nod to him, excepting the thank you as I leave.

I smile to myself. Jaune has surprised me several times in the past few hours. People rarely surprise me. I'm good at reading others, so I mostly know what to expect from them. Which is a good thing. I generally don't like being surprised. However, the surprises from Jaune have been unexpectedly pleasant. I find myself oddly curious about what surprise will come next.

* * *

 **Jaune's POV**

I collapse onto a small couch tucked away in a far corner of the library. It's early in the evening, and it's the first moment of peace I've had since the beginning of the day. After lunch, Nora begged us to go into town to buy, quote 'hammer and pancake supplies'. It was fun. Pyrrha, Ren, and I spent the day chasing her all over town, going in and out of shops, and eating way to much maple syrup. It was nice just to relax and have some fun.

I've been weighed down with a lot of stuff lately. School work, training, and being a leader. It's a lot to handle. I didn't realize how worried I've been until I talked to Blake. I was only trying to make her feel better, but then she ended up helping me. And then, today at lunch. I didn't want to tell anyone what I really thought. Everyone else was so upset about the festival, I thought they would think I was stupid for feeling relieved. And then Blake suddenly speaks up and pulls me into the conversion. She made me feel like my opinion mattered.

I sigh and rest my head on the back of the sofa. I had a lot of fun today, but I could definitely use some down time. Especially since I didn't get any sleep last night. By the time I got back to my room this morning, everyone else was starting to wake up, and I had to start my day. I'll really need to go to bed early tonight. But before I do that, I have something important to do. Read.

I pull out a brand new comic book I had hiding in my jacket. I was able to buy it today when no one was looking. It's the newest issue, and I can't wait to read it. I go to open it to the first page when something catches my eye. It's Blake. She's walking straight towards me, but she doesn't see me. Her face is buried in a book. I keep waiting for her to notice me, but as she gets closer, it's clear that she's to focused on her book to pay attention to anything else. When she gets to be only a few feet from me, I decide to speak up.

"Hey Blake." I say. She doesn't jump, but she freezes mid step, and her body tenses up (I guess I'm the only one who screams when they're surprised). When she looks up and sees me, her body relaxes.

"Jaune. Sorry, I didn't see you there." she says.

"It's okay, I know how it is to get lost in your own world." I say. "It must be a good book."

"Yeah, I'm almost finished with it." she say. "Yang and Ruby wanted to keep training, but after a few hours I decided to sneak off and find a quiet place to read."

"Looks like we both had the same idea." I say waving my comic book.

"What are you reading?" she asks.

"Oh, it's just a comic book. I know it's childish, but I like them." I say.

"It's not childish. If you enjoy them you should read them." She says.

"Really? I'm kind of surprised you think that." I say.

"Why?"

"Well, it's just, I know you read all these great works of literature all the time. I just thought you would think comics are stupid." I say.

"First of all, I don't just read great works of literature. I read a lot of different things, it just depends on what I'm in the mood for. Second of all, I think if someone finds joy from reading something, then that makes it a great work of literature. Even comic books." She say.

"Wow. That's awesome you feel that way. I don't feel so silly for reading this now." I say.

"You should never feel silly for your likes and dislikes. It's part of what make you who you are." Says Blake.

"You're right." I say. "It's just, my team thinks that if I take the time to read something, I should be reading a school book instead. They're probably right, I have a lot to catch up on. But I don't know, sometimes….sometime I just…"

"Sometime you just want to do something because you enjoy it, not because you have to." Say Blake, saying just what I was thinking.

"Yeah. Exactly!" I say. She smiles.

"Well I won't tell anyone where you're hiding spot is." she says.

"Thanks." I say.

"I'll let you get back to reading." She says as she turns to leave.

"Wait!" I say. She turns back towards me. "You can stay. There aren't a lot of good hiding spots in here. So if you want to finish you're book, you should probably read it here."

"Are you sure I won't bother you?" she asks.

"Of course not. Actually, I'm way more likely to bother you." I say.

"I doubt that." she says. I make room for her on the couch and she sits down next to me. "Thank you."

"No thanks necessary." I say.

We sit together, both of us quietly reading. It takes me longer to finish my comic than it normally would. I keep glancing up at Blake and watching her read. I can't help it. The way her expression subtlety changes with whatever is happening in her book is kind of captivating. Wait. What is wrong with me? I shouldn't be staring at her like this. I shake my head and try to focus on my comic. After a while I hear Blake move as she closes her book.

"Did you finish it?" I ask.

"Yes."

"Was it good?" I ask.

"Yes, the ending took me by surprise." She says.

"Do you like surprises?" I ask.

"Not usually. But sometime it's nice." She say.

"What was it about?"

"It was about a man who had to choose to either give up his life or give up his soul for the person he loved." She says.

"What did he end up choosing?" I ask.

"His life." She says.

"Why would he choose to die?"

"Because if he chose to give up his soul instead, then he would lose the ability to love her." Explains Blake. "Because you're unable to feel love without a soul."

"Then I can see why he chose death." I say.

"You can?"

"Yeah, because he'd rather die than live for one second in a world where he doesn't love her." I say. Blake just stares at me. "What? Did I get it wrong?"

"No Jaune, you're completely right. It's just….. you keep surprising me." she say.

"Oh. Is that a bad thing?" I ask, hopeful that I haven't upset her.

"No. It's not bad at all." She says.

We sit there and talk. She asks me about my comic and patently listens as I go into detail about its backstory. She even laughs a couple times, so I think she enjoys herself. We keep talking about books and stories and the sometimes ridicules things are teammates do, and before I know it, the sun is setting and darkness covers the campus. We end up talking for hours without trying. I think we would have kept talking, but Blake gets a call from Yang asking where she is. And I start to remember how tired I am. The real world comes back into focus.

We walk together back to the dorms. As we walk, I start to feel like I'm missing something. Like something important happened, but I'm not sure what. But whatever it is, I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the girl walking silently next to me. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking.

* * *

 **So what did you think? I hope you guys liked that. Pease leave a review if you'd like to see more.**

 **-Echo Artemis**


	3. Chapter 3

**Karlos1234ify, icecool90, NoNameReviewer, Cabbage Cabrera, IWEYC, jakillking999, fer gp, Robbie749, theycallmebeanz.**

 **Thank you so much for your reviews and advice. I hope you like this next chapter.**

 **I don't own anything.**

* * *

Blake's POV

I can feel their eyes on me. Burning holes into me with their unwavering stare. I feel uncomfortable under their scrutiny. But I don't dare give them the satisfaction of letting them see how their gaze is affecting me. I'm careful not to make eye contact as I continue to ignore them. But I can feel myself breaking under their gaze.

This is ridiculous! Why is this so difficult? This should be easy for me. It would've been simple for me just a few months ago. I'm I getting soft? No, I have to do this. I need to stay strong. It's for the good of the team. Besides, they have to go away sooner or later. They can't keep this up forever. Can they?

I glance up. Ruby and Yang are kneeling on my bed. Their faces are less than two inches from mine. Their eyes are big and full of unshed tears. Are they really going to cry?

"Please Blake." They say together.

"No." I say.

"Please." They beg. I sigh and glance over at Weiss. She's sitting on the edge of her bed, glaring at Yang and Ruby.

"Don't you dare give in to their childish pleas." Says Weiss.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one being smothered by these two." I say.

"That's because they know I won't give in. They think they can break you." Says Weiss. "And that's your fault for giving in last time."

"Don't listen to Weiss. We're asking you because you're nicer, cooler, and smarter than her." says Ruby.

"Hey!" says Weiss.

"Yeah, what Ruby said. So just tell us what we want to know and we'll be on our way." Says Yang.

"I am not doing your schoolwork for you." I say firmly. It's been nearly three weeks since the train attack on Vale, and over two weeks since classes started up again. In the past two week, our workload has almost doubled. I don't know if it's because of the attack, or the few days we missed, but all the teachers have gone overboard with twice as many reports, essays, and tests. Most of us simply buckled down and did the extra work. Others waited until the last minute and stated to beg there teammates for their quiz answers.

"But you're not even doing anything. Why can't you help us?" asks Ruby.

"Actually, I'm trying to read this book." I say. "And if you two put as much energy into your work as you do into bugging me, you'd already be done."

"Blake is right. You two need to focus. If you don't do the work yourself, you'll never learn anything." Says Weiss.

"But, it's so boring." Cries Ruby.

"You know what else is boring? Sitting here working on schoolwork while everyone else is out on missions." Says Weiss.

"What!?" Yang and Ruby shout.

"Did you forget?" I ask. "They're assigning missions tomorrow morning. All first year students get to go on their second mission tomorrow."

"But we won't be allowed to go if you two don't turn in your work first thing tomorrow." Says Weiss.

"All the more reason to help us." Says Yang.

"No. I will not help you two take the easy way out. Even if it means missing out on a mission." Says Weiss.

"So you'd risk being left behind just to prove a point?" ask Yang.

"There's more to it than that, but yes." says Weiss.

"Blake?" Yang and Ruby turn towards me with hopeful eyes.

"Don't look at me. I'd be happy with staying here and reading my book." I say.

"Fine. You win. Come on Yang, we can do this together." says Ruby. "There is no way I'm missing out on getting a mission." Yang and Ruby carry their books and papers over to the desk and start working feverishly to get their work done.

"Finally." Mumbles Weiss. I nod in agreement. Maybe now I can get some peace and quiet. I would like a little rest in case the mission we're assigned takes place tomorrow. I'm just about to open my book again when there's a knock at the door. I almost get annoyed at the interruption, but then my ears twitch as they pick up the familiar sound of a soft, cheerful whistle from the other side of the door. Jaune. I slide out of bed to go open the door, but Weiss beats me to it.

"Hey Weiss." Says Jaune, smiling brightly.

"I don't have time for this." says Weiss.

"What?" questions Jaune.

"I don't have time for whatever you're up to right now. I just got those two to do their schoolwork, so the last thing I need is some dolt distracting them with crazy shenanigans." Says Weiss.

"Umm…. I'm just here to give Blake her book back." He says while holding up a book.

"Oh. Well then. Go right ahead." Says Weiss as she steps out of the way. I step around her and greet Jaune.

"Hi Jaune. Wow, you already finished it?" I ask.

"Yeah, I couldn't put it down. It was as good as a comic book." He says.

"That's quite a complement coming from you." I say.

"Well if all books were that good, I'd read as much as you do." says Jaune. "If you have any others that are that good, I'd love to read those."

"I do have one you might like. It's by the same author of the book you just read. It doesn't have as much action in it, but you still might like it." I say.

"Sure, I'd love to try It." he says. I go to my book shelf and pull out an old worn out book with frayed edges.

"Here you go." I say.

"Wow, looks like you read this one a lot." he says as he examines the book.

"A few times. It's one of my favorites." I say.

"Thanks Blake. I'll be sure to take care of It." he says.

"Just be sure to tell me what you think about it when you're done." I say.

"I will." He says. "See you later."

"Bye." I say. I close the door and walk back over to my bed. I try to get comfortable, but I feel eyes staring at me again. I look up and see Weiss, Yang, and Ruby looking intensely at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing." Says Yang.

"Then why are you guys staring at me?" I say after I put my book away. I might as well give up trying to read tonight.

"Really, it's nothing…. It's just, that's the third time this week Jaune has stopped by looking for you." Says Ruby.

"He was just returning a book." I say. I'm not sure what point my teammates are trying to make. What's so strange about Jaune stopping by? We're friends after all. Isn't that what friends do?

"I've also seen you two hanging out in the library a few times." Says Yang.

"Yeah, so what." I say.

"So you're not going to even try to deny it?" asks Yang.

"Why would I deny it?" I ask, completely confused. "What is going on with you guys? You're acting weird."

"We just want to know what's going on between you and Jaune." Says Weiss. "You two have been all chatty with each other and it's strange." I frown at my teammates as they all nod in agreement. Do they really think it's so odd that Jaune and I could become friends?

"It's not strange." I say. "Jaune and I are friends. Friends talk."

"Since when are you two friends?" asks Yang, she seems genuinely curious. "You've known Jaune since initiation, you never really talked to him before." Yang has a point. Jaune and I had almost no interaction with each other until a couple of weeks ago. My teammates don't know about our talk on the roof. I really don't want to tell them about that. Maybe I don't have to.

"I ran into Jaune a few weeks ago. He was in the library reading. We started talking about books." I say. That was mostly true. However, if I hadn't talked to Jaune that morning on the roof, I probably wouldn't have talked to him in the library. Which would've been a shame. I enjoy talking to Jaune. Talking with Jaune is, well, peaceful is the best way I can describe it. When I'm speaking with Jaune, I don't feel the weight of my past, of the responsibility of my future. I'm in the moment, enjoying a good conversation with a friend.

"Then what?" asks Ruby.

"Then nothing. We talked. I let him borrow a few books. And if we run into each other in the library or somewhere else, we talk." I say. "I don't see why that's so difficult to believe."

"Sorry Blake. You guys just seem like such different people." Says Yang.

"In a lot of ways, we are. But I think that might be why we get along." I say. "And it's nice to finally have someone to talk about books with."

"Well I still think it's weird, but you're free to be friends with whoever you want." Says Weiss.

"Don't listen to Weiss. It totally makes sense now that you explained what's going on." Says Ruby.

"What did you guys _think_ was going on?" I ask.

"Honestly? We had no idea." Says Yang. "It just didn't make sense that you two were hanging out."

"Maybe it doesn't make sense. But look at the four of us. We certainly don't make sense, but we ended up being good friends." I say.

"She has a point. You three wouldn't have been my first choice." Says Weiss.

"Hey!" say Ruby.

"What?! Like you would have picked me to be your teammate." Says Weiss.

"Well it's a good thing we didn't have a choice, because now we're best friends." says Yang. "Best friends who help each other with school work."

"NO." Weiss and I say together. Yang and Ruby groan and begrudgingly get back to work.

* * *

 **Jaune's POV**

I feel the air rush out of my lungs as something heavy lands on my stomach. I cough and gag as my body fights to breathe. What a great way to wake up in the morning. I groan and open my eyes to try and find the source of my discomfort. I'm not surprised to see Nora happily jumping up and down on me, like my body is some kind of trampoline.

"Wake up Jaune!" she yells. I roll off the side of the bed and onto the floor before she manages to break my ribs.

"Why Nora. Just…why." I ask as I slowly lift myself up off the floor.

"Why? Why? You know why. We need to get up or we're going to be late." Says Nora as Ren pulls her off of my bed.

"Late for what?" I ask.

"Their assigning missions this morning." Says Pyrrha.

"And we can't be late or all the good missions will get taken." Cries Nora.

"Is that why you woke me up so early?" I ask, yawning.

"It's nearly eight Jaune." Says Pyrrha as she tightens her last piece of armor into place. "We let you sleep in since you stayed up so late."

"Oh. I guess I got caught up reading." I say. I had started the book Blake gave me last night, and I couldn't put it down. I finished the first ten chapters without even trying. No wonder its Blake's favorite.

"Is that another one of Blake's books?" ask Ren.

"Yeah." I say.

"OOOH! Jaune has a crush on Blake." Says Nora. I sigh and drag my hands down my face.

"No Nora. I don't have a crush on Blake. You shouldn't say stuff like that." I say. It's true. Blake and I are just friends. She's someone I can really confide in. I can just be myself around her. It's different with my other friends. Like Pyrrha. Pyrrha is my best friend. I know I can count on her for anything. But I want her to be proud of me. I don't want to disappoint her. But I don't feel that way with Blake. I feel like I can let all my insecurities show and she wouldn't care. I just know that she would never judge me for anything, and that's kind of freeing. So I don't want to mess this new found friendship up.

"Leave Jaune alone Nora." Says Ren.

"Don't listen to Nora. She's just teasing you." Says Pyrrha.

"I know. It's just I think Blake and I could become really good friends, and I don't want her to get scared off because of people saying something dumb like that." I say.

"Blake doesn't strike me as the kind of person to be scared off." says Pyrrha.

"Yeah, you're right." I say.

"Come on guys! We're going to be late." Says Nora. I look at the clock.

"She's right. We better get going." I say.

* * *

 **Blake's POV**

My teammates and I wonder around the crowded auditorium. All the first year students are in here, looking at all the different mission that are available, trying to decide which one their team will take. There are a lot of different missions but they're going fast. We need to decide soon, or we'll be left with the scraps.

"Oh man, all the search and destroy missions are taken." Says Ruby as she scans the mission board.

"Well if you hadn't taken so long handing in your schoolwork, we wouldn't have been so late, and we would've had more options." Says Weiss.

"Well maybe someone should've helped me." says Ruby.

"Let's not start this again." I say.

"Yeah, let's just take one of the guard missions. We might see some action on one of those." Says Yang.

"Sounds good to me. How about everyone else?" asks Ruby.

"Sure, why not." Says Weiss.

"I'm fine with that." I say. Ruby walks up to the board and selects a mission. But the board flashes red and a bold line of words appear. **Team RWBY. You have already been assigned a mission. You cannot select more than one mission at this time.**

"What? We didn't already pick a mission. Did we?" asks Ruby.

"Try picking a different one." Says Weiss. Ruby taps on another mission, and the same message appears.

"Looks like you guys are having the same problem as we are." We all turn and see Jaune, followed by the rest of team JNPR. I can't stop a smile from forming on my face as Jaune walks up. I can feel Yang sending me a questioning look. I ignore it. I'm tired of explaining my friendship with Jaune.

"It keeps saying that we have a mission already, but we don't." Says Ruby.

"Same here." Says Jaune.

"Maybe we should ask one of the teachers for help." Says Pyrrha.

"That won't be necessary." We all turn to find the ever imposing Professor Ozpin standing behind us. "I believe I can dispel any confusion you seem to be having."

"Um, okay. Well this keeps saying that we've already been assigned a mission." Says Ruby.

"That's because you have." Says Ozpin.

"But we haven't picked one yet." Says Jaune.

"No, but I picked one for you." Says Ozpin.

"You did?" asks Yang.

"Yes." says Ozpin.

"Okay. So two question. Why and what is it?" asks Ruby. Ozpin cracks a smile at the younger girl.

"A Mission came in just a few hours ago. I didn't add it to the board because you, team RWBY, were specifically requested for It." says Ozpin.

"What? Why us." Ask Yang.

"This morning a small transport ship from the Schnee Dust Company suffered engine failure and crashed just a few miles outside the kingdom. No one was injured, but they requested help guarding the shipment until a new transport can be sent to pick it up." Says Ozpin.

"But why did they request us?" asks Ruby.

"Because of me." says Weiss dejectedly. "I'm right aren't I?"

"Yes." says Ozpin. "They said it would be ideal to keep the business of the dust company 'in the family'."

"And you agreed to it." I ask, sensing he was as displeased as Weiss.

"While I don't like getting involved in politics. I find it's wise to choose my battles." Says Ozpin. "As should you."

"So we have no choice but to take the mission?" ask Ruby.

"Of course. Despite the reasons you've been assigned this mission, there are still people out there who are depending on you to protect them. It's your duty to do so, no matter what the circumstances are." Say Ozpin.

"Ozpin's right. This is the mission we've been assigned, so this is the mission we're going to do." says Ruby.

"Um. I don't mean to interrupt, but what does this have to do with us." asks Jaune.

"You and the rest of team JNPR will be going with team RWBY on this mission." Says Ozpin.

"We will?" ask Jaune.

"Yes. There's been an increases in Grimm activity in the area of the crash. And while I'm sure it's nothing one team can't handle, I thought it best if two teams went on this mission, just to be safe. And I've seen how well your teams work together. It seems like the best solution." says Ozpin.

"Oh. Okay. So when do we leave?" asks Jaune.

"Right now." Says Ozpin. "Dr. Oobleck is waiting for you at the docks. I suggest you hurry."

* * *

 **What do you think? Did you like this chapter? Things are going to start to get intense in the next few chapters. I hope you like what I have in store. Please leave a review and let me know if I should keep going.**

 **-Echo Artemis**


	4. Chapter 4

**ShadowGreymon, fer gp, SHMANDER, OutSquash13, metalknight10, theycallmebeanz, IWEYC, Cabbage Cabrera, ZenithTempest, TheRockafellerDank, and Guests.**

 **Thank you all for your support and ideas. I really love reading all your reviews!**

 **I don't own anything.**

* * *

Blake's POV

It's a bit of a shock getting requested for a mission directly from the Schnee Dust Company. Kind of ironic too, since the last time I went in search of a Schnee transport it was to raid it, not save it. A lot has changed for me in the past year. People who I once viewed as enemies are now allies, and those who were allies, I now fight as enemies. It wasn't an easy change for me. It certainly didn't happen overnight. I still struggle at times. It would be easy to fall back into my old way of thinking. Like right now.

After years of viewing anyone associated with the Schnee Dust Company as the enemy, I have to keep reminding myself that I'm not going out to fight them, but protect them. They're not the bad guys anymore. In fact, they never really were. When I got older, and was able to see through my own hate, and the hate of the White Fang, I saw the truth.

And the truth is, that while there are some who work for the SDC that are evil and unusually cruel to the Faunus, most of the men and women working there are just people. They aren't villains, they don't hate the Faunus, and they aren't out to hurt anyone. They're just regular people who need jobs. They aren't looking to fight a war, they just want to provide for their families. They're just trying to get by in a world with not a lot of options. How could I fault anyone for that?

Fighting for the White Fang became difficult after I began to see things clearly. Especially with Adam by my side. Not only did he not agree with me, he began to believe that humans were beneath Faunus and the world would be better off if all humans were eradicated. I just couldn't fight alongside someone who felt that way. I didn't hate humans. I didn't want them all dead. I just wanted equality. Which is why I'm here.

There is no better symbol of equality then a Huntsmen or Huntress. A person whose job is to protect everyone, no matter who or what they are, or who they work for. That's what I want to be. A symbol, not just of equality, but of hope. Hope that one day this senseless war of superiority will stop, and no one will be viewed or treated as less because of what they were born as. I know it's silly. Silly to dream that I could possibly be part of this change. But it's nice to think about. And it reminds me of who I'm trying to become. So in a way, I'm glad we got this assignment. It's a good test for me, a good reminder of what I stand for now.

"You ready partner?" asks Yang as she grabs the last of her ammo from her locker. She slams it and turns to me, smiling brightly. I take Gambol Shroud from my locker before answering.

"Yes. I got everything I need."

"You good? You seemed a little lost in thought there for a minute."

"I'm fine. I was only thinking about the mission." I say as we both start to run towards the exit to join the others. After Ozpin had given us the mission, we all ran off to get our weapons and any supplies we might need. None of us had what we needed with us since we had no idea that we'd be required to leave so soon. Weiss and Ruby had left their weapons in our room instead of the lockers, so we split up and agreed to meet at the docks in ten minutes. Yang and I have less than four minutes to make it there.

"Are you worried about it?" Yang asks without sounding out of breath as we run across campus.

"No." I rush by a group of students and nearly knock them down. Yang laughs at me as I shout an apology over my shoulder. We make it to the docks with more than a minute to spare. Yang is still laughing at me. I try to glare at her, but I ruin it by smiling.

"Looks like we're the first ones here." Yang says as she looks around for the others. I simply nod at her observation as I keep my eye out for the others. "So if you're not worried about the mission, then what's on your mind?"

"It's nothing I…" I pause. I think about a conversation I had with Jaune a few days ago. I'm not sure how we got on the topic, but he told me I should try not to hold everything back. He said it's okay to keep some things to yourself, but that I should open up to the people close to me. Even if it's about something small. Because not only will it make me feel better, but it will let the person I talk to know that I really trust them. In the end it will make us closer.

I guess now is as good a time as any to listen to Jaune's advice. Yang is my partner and friend. I should be able to tell her anything. So here goes nothing. "I was just thinking about how odd it is that I'm here helping the SDC when a year ago I was fighting against them."

"Oh. I guess that is weird. Are you okay with this?" her face is serious, a rare occurrence for Yang.

"Yes, I'm good. This mission will help me in a way." I say. "It reminds me not to think like I used to when I was with the White Fang."

"I didn't realize that was something you had to deal with." She says.

"I was with the White Fang since I was five. I think trying to forget what they taught me is something I'll always have to deal with."

"I should've realized a mission like this would bring up the past for you. I'm sorry." She says.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about. How could you have known?" I say.

"I'm your partner. I should know these things. It's just…. I forget. I forget that you were a member of the White Fang. I mean…. You're just Blake. My quiet partner, my reliable friend, the girl that puts up with me annoying her when she's trying to read. It's hard to think of you as anything else." I feel a pressure in my chest build as she speaks. My throat feels tight, and I try to push back my emotions, until I realize that what I'm feeling is happiness.

"Yang I ….." I don't know what to say. For years, all I wanted was a place where I could go and be with people who didn't see me as a Faunus, or a terrorist, or anything else. Where they just saw me as a person. And in a few words, Yang has showed me that is exactly what I have with her, my team, with Jaune.

"Did I say something wrong?" Yang asks worriedly.

"No, not at all." I reassure her. "I'm just…. It makes me happy that you see me that way."

"Well how else would I see you? That's who you are." Yang says.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right." Yang smiles. "So are you good?"

"Never better." I say.

"That's good, because it looks like we have someone else who might need cheering up." Yang points behind me. I turn and see that all the members of JNPR have finally arrived at the dock, followed by Ruby and a very troubled looking Weiss. I'm about to ask her if she's ok when Dr. Oobleck flashes by us.

"Team RWBY Team JNPR! We are already eight minutes behind schedule and we will only fall further behind schedule if we all continue to stand here instead of boarding the airship. Now we must depart immediately." Shouts the doctor as he jumps from place to place before racing off to the airship.

"Was he like that the whole time when you went on your mission with him?" Jaune asks me in a low whisper.

"Pretty much. But he's actually an excellent Huntsmen and you can learn a lot from him, if you can keep up with what he's saying." I tell him.

"I'll try and remember that." says Jaune.

"Teams RWBY and JNPR! We are now nine minutes behind schedule." Oobleck yells. We all quickly join him on the airship. As soon as the last off us steps on board, the airship take off. "It will take us over an hour to reach our destination, so make yourself comfortable."

We take our seats on the small craft and strap ourselves in. Team RWBY on one side, JNPR on the other. I'm sandwiched between Weiss and Yang. I look over at Weiss. The heiress is still in a foul mood. She's grinding her teeth and her hands are clenched into fists.

"I'm sorry about this Weiss, but we have to do the mission. We don't have a choice." Says Ruby.

"Of course we don't. I never have a choice when it comes to my father." Says Weiss.

"I know this isn't easy Weiss, but as Huntresses, it's our job to help everyone. It doesn't matter why we got this mission. The only thing that matters is helping these people." Ruby says.

"You don't have to remind me that we're supposed to help others. I know what our job is, and I know we have to do our mission." Weiss lets out a long sigh. "I just thought that I was out of my father's reach. I should have known he'd find a way to control me even while I'm here at Beacon."

"That's silly. You're father isn't controlling you Weiss." Says Ruby.

"Of course he is. That's what this mission is about."

"I think it's the opposite. I think this is all about you controlling your own life." Says Ruby. Weiss frowns at Ruby.

"How did you possibly come up with that conclusion?" Weiss almost sounds curious about Ruby's theory.

"Well it wasn't your father's choice for you to become a Huntress, it was yours. And he didn't want you to go to Beacon, but you came here anyway. So really, you ended up going on this mission, not because of your father, but because of the choices _you_ made." Ruby smiles proudly at her explanation.

"Ruby you are just…..sort of right. In a long roundabout way, you're right." Weiss relaxes a bit and leans back in her seat. "It's ultimately my choice to be on this mission. The only way my father can really control me is if I let this whole thing make me upset. So I'm just going to calm down and do the mission."

"See. You should listen to the wise words of your leader more often." Says Ruby.

"Don't push it." mumbles Weiss. I hear Yang chuckle. I glance over at her and catch her looking at her sister with pride. I shake my head and smile. I certainly became part of a unique team. But I don't think I would have it any other way.

* * *

 **Jaune's POV**

Willpower. It's all about willpower. I just have to concentrate. I can do this. I can do this. I can…. I don't know if I can do this. The airship shutters as it speeds unsteadily through the sky. My stomach flips. I cover my mouth with my hand and breathe in deeply through my nose. Beads of sweat roll down my face, making my hair stick to my forehead.

"We're almost there Jaune. Just a few more minutes." Pyrrha reassures me. I groan. Why do I get sick every time I ride in an airship? Is it some kind of punishment? How will I ever be taken seriously as a Huntsmen when my biggest weakness is motion sickness?

"Just let me out here, I'll walk the rest of the way." I plead. My stomach rolls and I gag. I barely manage to not throw up.

"Just aim away from me vomit boy." Yang shouts over the roar of the engine. I look up at her. I watch her laugh as Blake turns and frowns menacingly at her. Blake then turns her gaze towards me and she smiles softly. I try to smile back. I feel a tad embarrassed having her see me like this. Blake must easily read my face, because she smiles again and shakes her head slightly to the side. It's something that she does whenever she's trying to reassure me. I try to respond to her gesture, but I feel my stomach lurch as the ship starts to descend.

"We've arrived at our destination. Once the ship drops us off we will discuss the plan." Oobleck announces.

"The ship isn't going to wait for us?" asks Nora.

"Goodness no. There are far too many ground and aerial Grimm in the area. The ship risks being destroyed if it stays. It will return to Beacon and wait for us to call it back." Says Oobleck. The ship finally lands in a small clearing in the woods. I jump up from my seat and run out the door before anyone else even has the chance to stand. I rest my hands on my knees and take a few shaky breathes in. My stomach starts to steady.

"I think you're getting better. You didn't throw up at all." Says Pyrrha as she walks up behind me.

"Yeah, maybe." I stand up straight and turn to face her. "Hopeful I'll get over it completely one day." Pyrrha smiles at me and pats my shoulder. I watch as everyone else gets off the airship, their weapons at the ready. The ship quickly takes off once everyone is out, and flies off out of view.

"Good. Now we can begin our search." Says Oobleck.

"Wait, we don't know where they are?" I ask.

"I'm afraid not. The only coordinates they were able to send us were the ones they recorded before the engines failed while they were still in the air. They could have crashed anywhere within a five mile radius of here. That is why we must split up into three teams of three. Once one team locates the crash site, they will use their scrolls to call the other teams and send them their location." Oobleck speaks at lightning speed.

"Sounds like a plan. How do we pick teams?" asks Ruby.

"I have already selected what I believe to be the best teams for this mission." Oobleck pulls out a notepad and reads off the teams.

"First team we have is myself, Yang, and Nora." Nora grabs onto Ren and starts crying about how she doesn't want to leave him behind. "Second team we have Ruby, Ren, and Pyrrha. Which leave us With Jaune, Weiss, and Blake."

"Really? These are the teams?" Weiss asks, then looks over at Yang as Nora skips and sings around her. "I guess I could have it worse."

"Don't start Weiss. We all need to work together." says Blake. Weiss starts to say something, but is interrupted by Dr. Oobleck.

"Good. Now that everyone has their team, we can spread out and start our search." He says. "And everyone. Be safe."

I keep a tight grip on Crocea Mors as Blake, Weiss, and I head off into the opposite direction of everyone else. Things are quiet at first. The three of us keeping a sharp eye out for the crashed transport ship. Of course, a crashed ship shouldn't be too hard to spot. Right?

"So how big is this ship?" I ask.

"Not too big. It only has space for three people. Two pilots and a guard. And it can only carry a few shipping crates." Answers Weiss.

"Still, it should be pretty easy to spot." I say.

"True. But we only have a one in three chance of finding it. It could be where one of the other teams are looking." Says Weiss.

"Don't you want to be the ones to find it though?" usually Weiss treats things like a competition. I thought she'd be racing to find it.

"It doesn't really matter who finds It." says Weiss. I can tell she's not in the best of moods, but I can also tell she's trying to be pleasant with me. Which is a nice change. I wonder if it has something to do with Blake. I look over at her, and immediately I can tell something is wrong. She hasn't said a word since we started our search, but it isn't just that.

She's tense, even though she moves silently and gracefully through the dense forest, every muscle in her body is jumpy, as if she's about to run into battle. Her sharp yellow eyes are deadly focused. And the bow on top of her head twitches erratically as her hidden cat ears catch every sound echoing throughout the trees.

"Blake." The seriousness of my tone gets Weiss's attention and she too notice Blake's behavior. We all stop walking as Blake continues to scan the area around us. I take my sword from its sheath and get ready for whatever might happen. "What is it?" I whisper.

"I'm not sure. But something isn't right." She says.

"Did you hear or see something?" asks Weiss. Blake shakes her head.

"No, nothing like that. It's more of a feeling. This place. I can feel a sort of dark energy surrounding us." Says Blake.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asks Weiss.

"I'm not sure. It could just be from Grimm in the area, or something else." Blake continues to keep her guard up as she speaks.

"Something worse than Grimm you mean." I say.

"I don't know. I've felt this same darkness only a few other times in my life. And nothing good ever came from it." Blake's eyes glaze over a bit, I wonder what memory is haunting her?

"Should we call the others?" I ask.

"And what? Warn them that Blake has a bad feeling?" says Weiss.

"Are you saying that you don't believe Blake?" I say defensively. I find myself angry that Weiss might be belittling Blake.

"She's right Jaune. I don't have anything I can tell them that would help in any way." Says Blake, calming me down.

"So what do we do?" I ask. Blake sighs. She seems torn.

"I think all we can do is continue our search. But we need to be ready for anything, and not let our guard down once." She says.

"Are you sure?"

"It's all we can do." she says.

"Then we need to keep moving forward." Weiss says as she charges up Myrtenaster with ice dust. "But let's not let anything take us by surprise. Hopeful it's just a few Grimm."

"What could we run into that's worse than Grimm?" I ask as we continue moving forward. Blake looks at me with a sad expression and answers my question.

"People." She says.

We continue our search through the woods. We don't speak. We keep focused on the task at hand. The forest is thick and it takes us over half an hour to travel about a mile. I watch Blake, looking for any sign that we can calm down, but the tension never leaves her body. In fact, it gets worse the longer we search.

"There's a clearing up ahead." Says Weiss. I look up and see the sun shining on an open field about fifty feet ahead of us.

"Maybe the crashed transport is there. They might have been able to maneuver the ship into the clearing instead of crashing into the trees." I say.

"That's a surprisingly smart thought." Says Weiss.

"Thanks." I say, even though her complement is wrapped in an insult.

We reach the field. It looks peaceful, as the soft breeze blows the long grass, making it look like waves in an ocean. We start walking out into the field. We only make it about twenty feet when Blake suddenly throws her arm out in front of us and stops Weiss and I from walking.

"I heard something." She says. Her bow is flat against her head. I hold my breath as I watch her listen to a sound I can't hear. Her eyes suddenly widen. "We need to get back to the tree line."

The urgency in her voice makes me react quickly, but it's not fast enough. Before I can even turn back towards the forest. I hear a pained scream from beside me and I feel the spray of warm blood on my face.

* * *

 **So how was that? What do you think will happen next? Please leave a review and tell me what you think.**

 **-Echo Artemis**


	5. Chapter 5

**AntonSlavik020, Robbie748, SHMANDER, Karlos1234ify, Cabbage Cabrera, fer gp, theycallmebeanz, OutSquash13, richboylion, IWEYC.**

 **Thank you all for your support and awesome reviews!**

 **I don't own anything.**

* * *

Jaune's POV

We reach the field. It looks peaceful, as the soft breeze blows the long grass, making it look like waves in an ocean. We start walking out into the field. We only make it about twenty feet when Blake suddenly throws her arm out in front of us and stops Weiss and I from walking.

"I heard something." She says. Her bow is flat against her head. I hold my breath as I watch her listen to a sound I can't hear. Her eyes suddenly widen. "We need to get back to the tree line."

The urgency in her voice makes me react quickly, but it's not fast enough. Before I can even turn back towards the forest. I hear a pained scream from beside me and I feel the spray of warm blood on my face.

I just stand there for a second. Unsure of what happened, or what to do. The spray of blood tickles as the drops begin to roll down my face. I look to my right and see Weiss, her eyes wide with surprise, but she seems unharmed. Standing directly in front of her is Blake. Dread fills my stomach as I watch Blake suddenly fall to her knees. Her right hand is still clutching her weapon, while her left presses desperately to the side of her neck. Blood seeps out from between her fingers. The pained look on her face is what snaps me out of my shock, and back into action.

"Blake!" I slide to the ground next to her. I try to look at her wounded neck, but she pushes me away.

"Don't let your guard down." She hisses through clenched teeth. "If you take your eyes off him he'll kill you!" I look away from Blake and at my surroundings. I don't see anyone or anything. Which worries me. Something hurt Blake, but what?

"I don't see anything." I say.

"Just because you don't see him, doesn't mean he isn't here." She says.

"Who's he? Who are you talking about?" I ask. Blake doesn't say anything, but starts to struggle against me.

"Calm down Blake." Weiss commands as she takes a fighting stance with Myrtenaster at the ready. "Let Jaune help you. I'll keep on guard." Blake seems unsatisfied with Weiss's demand, but she allows me to move her hand from her neck. Though I don't think it's by choice. Her eyes look unfocused, like she's having trouble staying awake. She coughs, and a small trickle of blood drips from her mouth. This isn't good. I take a closer look at the wound.

The injury doesn't seem life threatening, but it is severe. It's a wound, about the size of my fist. Blood continues to ooze from the torn flesh. I decide to use the scarf that's already hanging around her neck as a bandage. I tie it as tight as I can without choking her. I look at our surroundings once more to try and piece together what happened. What could have done this? It had to have been something very powerful to have torn straight through her aura like this, but I don't see anything.

"Is she alright?" Weiss asks without taking her eyes off the area around us. She's clearly struggling to keep her voice calm, and her face is pinched with worry.

"I think she'll be okay, but we should get her some help as soon as possible." I answer.

"We….we have to get out of here. Now." Says Blake. She slowly gets up from the ground. I know there's no use in trying to stop her, so I help her to her feet. She seems unsteady for a moment. She shakes her head as if to wake herself up.

"I'll call the others." I take my scroll out, but an unfamiliar voice interrupts me before I can call anyone.

"I can't let you do that." says the voice. Instinct takes over and I lower my scroll and raise my weapon. Less the ten feet in front of us stands a man. I was looking in that exact spot just a moment ago. Where did he come from?

The man has a menacing presence, causing fear to bloom in my chest. The combination of his dark cloths, a creepy mask, and the horns on his head make him look more like a Grimm then a person. But what scares me the most, is Blake. The blood loss doesn't seem to be bothering her anymore. Her body is still, almost frozen in place. The only movement is her hair as the wind softly ruffles it. And her eyes. They're filled with something I've never seen before. One word comes to mind when I look into them. Death.

"Hello Blake. It's lovely to see you here." The man says smoothly. I tense up. The sound of Blake's name on the man's lips makes me feel sick. What is going on? I look to Blake for answers, but her gaze doesn't leave the man before us, and her eyes darken at his words.

"Adam."

* * *

 **Blake's POV**

This is my fault. I should've trusted my instincts and turned back. The moment I stepped into the woods, I knew something bad awaited us. But I foolishly thought that the three of us could handle whatever we came across. But I was wrong. And now, I don't know what to do. I don't know how to save myself, let alone Jaune and Weiss.

After taking a few steps from the woods and into the field, my bad feeling turned into terror as my superior sense of smell picked up a scent that was sickeningly familiar. One I hoped that I would never run into. Adam. He was here. I quickly told Jaune and Wiess to head back to the trees, but it was too late. I heard the sound of his weapon, Blush, being fired. I saw the flash of the bullet headed straight for Weiss. I reacted without thinking. I stepped in front of Weiss. The shot slammed into me, my aura only slightly protecting me from the blast. Adam could always cut straight through my aura. And not just mine. I've seen him kill powerful men and women with a single strike. Going up against Adam is a death sentence.

I don't realize that I've fallen to the ground until Jaune kneels beside me. What is he doing? Doesn't he realize we're in the middle of a fight? I try to tell him that we're in danger, but I can't seem to get my point across. I'm having trouble forming the words I need. Weiss says something, but it's lost in the fog that has filled my head. My neck feels like it's on fire. I can feel my aura flaring up, trying to heal the wound. I feel lightheaded and darkness creeps in around my vision. I vaguely hear Jaune's voice as his hands gently press into the injury on my neck.

That's right. Jaune is here. So is Weiss. And Adam. He'll kill them. I need to get them out of here. They don't realize the danger they're in. I focus on my aura, urging it to strengthen me. My head starts to clear and I try to stand.

"We….we have to get out of here. Now." I grab onto Jaune as I steady myself.

"I'll call the others." Says Jaune. I want to tell him that there isn't time for that, but I'm too late.

"I can't let you do that." I feel a vice like grip around my heart as his voice filters into my ears. I look up at him. At the man who was once my friend, my savior. And now, all I see is an executioner. A harbinger of death and despair. How did this man, who was once a hero, become a monster? I wish I didn't know the answer. But I do. I know exactly how it happened, because I did it. It's my fault. I turned him into this….beast. All the people he's killed, all the murders he's committed. It's my fault. Their blood is on my hands.

"Hello Blake. It's lovely to see you here." I forget about the wound on my neck. The sound of his voice, thick with bloodlust, is all I need to drive the pain away. My instincts scream at me to run, but I can't. I can't leave Jaune and Weiss to fight him alone. I won't let the blood of my friends stain my skin. I don't care what I have to do to save them.

"Adam." I growl. I hear Weiss gasp.

"That's Adam? As in your old partner?" she asks. I give her a short nod, but I don't let my eyes leave Adam for even a moment.

"Either you've grown clumsy Blake, or you just purposefully took a bullet meant for a Schnee." Says Adam. "Either way, I'm disappointed."

"What do you want?" I ask, fighting to keep my voice steady.

"That doesn't concern you." He shifts the weapon in his hand, making me flinch. A small smile appears on his face. He's toying with me.

"If you're here for me, fine. Try and take me. Just leave them out of it." I say gesturing to Jaune and Weiss. Adam laughs darkly.

"It's unbecoming to think that everything is about you Blake." Adam sneers. "You being here is a…..pleasant addition, but you are not my main objective. I'm here for the heiress." I feel Weiss tense up next to me.

"It was you." Says Weiss. "The Schnee dust transport ship. You're the reason it crashed."

"Yes and no." Adam says, clearly enjoying the game he's playing.

"What the hell does that mean?!" shouts Weiss. I suddenly realize the truth of what is happening. Adam and I used to run similar operations before I left.

"There is no transport ship. There never was one." I say, needing no confirmation.

"What do you mean?" asks Jaune.

"Adam sent out a false message for help to lure us here. It's a trap." I say, a sick feeling washes over me.

"As intelligent as ever, aren't you Blake." Says Adam.

"That's impossible! There's no way you could send a fake message from the SDC. It can't be hacked." Yells Weiss.

"Normally, you would be correct. But I've recently become friends with people in high places. It's amazing what power can accomplish." He states.

"I won't let you kill Weiss." I raise Gambol Shroud. I know I can't beat him, especially while I'm injured. But maybe I can buy some time.

"Blake, to see you not only working with, but protecting a Schnee…..it's revolting." He growls. "And as much as I would love to kill her where she stands, that's not what I plan on doing. I'm not going to kill her, I'm going to take her."

"Why. To what end?" I ask, stalling while I try to think of a plan.

"Justice. Revenge. For me, and for you." He says.

"Revenge for what? Weiss has never done anything to us." I shout.

"She a Schnee! Did you forget what they did to you, to us!" he screams, showing his first real emotions.

"Of course I remember. I always will." I whisper, trying to block out the memory Adam is speaking about.

"Then how. Tell me how you can work with her. How can you even look at her! After what her family did to you." He yells again.

"That's just it. It was her family. Weiss had nothing to do with it." I say. Adams face becomes calm once more and he shakes his head at me.

"It's sad to see what you've become Blake. But despite your sickening disloyalty, and that fact you abandoned the cause, abandoned me. I'm still going to avenge you, while also sending a clear message that no one is safe from the White Fang. Not even the powerful." Adam speaks in an even tone.

"What are you going to do?" I ask, my voice shaking.

"I'm going to do to Weiss Schnee, exactly what her father did to you." Adam smiles wickedly, my vision blurs with rage. And I'm moving. My emotions move me forward without thinking. I rush towards Adam and swing wildly at him. He blocks my weapon with ease, but I continue to push against him.

" _Never._ " I snarl. "I will _never_ let you do that to Weiss or anyone else. I'll die before I let that happen." Adam laughs at me and leans in close to my face.

"Don't be so dramatic." He whispers. He quickly steps around me and removes Wilt from Blush. He strikes swiftly. His blade nearly slices into my stomach, but I block his attack, barely. He moves again with ease, his foot striking me in the knee. I stumble. It gives him an opening, his blade moves rapidly, cutting into my back. I don't have time to think about the pain as he raises his weapon again and aims it towards my head. I brace for the hit, but it doesn't come.

I hear the screech of metal against metal. Jaune stands in front of me, his shield protecting us from Adam's deadly strike. I momentarily feel a bit of relief, but it fades as soon as I see Weiss racing up behind Adam, preparing to attack. I try to warn her, but it's too late. Adam shoves against Jaune's shield, pushing him to the ground, then he turn to Weiss at the last second.

The nauseating sound of flesh being torn fills the air along with an agonizing scream. Adam's blade cuts deeply into Weiss leg. A bone deep cut from ankle to knee. Weiss tumbles to the ground, Myrtenaster falling from her grip. Adam flicks the blood from Wilt and slowly approaches Weiss.

Weiss struggles to stand, falling repeatedly. Her leg refuses to hold her weight. She starts frantically trying to pull herself away from Adam and towards her weapon. Her wounded leg drags limply behind her. Adam laughs as he towers over her.

"I love watching you crawl." He says. He grabs Weiss by her injured leg and pulls her back towards him, away from her weapon. Weiss screams, her pain evident in her voice. "I'm going to have so much fun with you."

I swallow the pain I'm in and lunge at Adam. He sees me coming, but he doesn't seem to anticipate my speed, my anger making me move faster than I normally could. I strike before he can block. My blade cutting deep into his side. He steps away from Weiss, clearly surprised that I managed to hit him. He growls darkly at me.

"You can be such a fool Blake. Running when you should stay. Fighting when you should run. I believe it's time for me to teach you a much needed lesson." Adam barks. I ignore him, focusing instead on the sound of Jaune trying to help Weiss. I don't dare take my eyes off Adam to look back at them, but it's good to hear them both alive and breathing. And I need them to stay that way.

"Jaune, get Weiss out of here." I say as Adam begins to circle me, a sadistic grin on his face.

"I'm not leaving you!" shouts Jaune.

"You need to save her Jaune. He's going to kill you, kill me, and then take Weiss and make her wish she were dead." I scream. "Get Weiss out of here and get help. If you don't we'll all die. Please Jaune. I need you to do this. Please." There's a moment of silence, then a shaky response.

"I'll come back for you. I promise." Says Jaune, his voice low and filled with tears.

"I know you will." I say with certainty. With that, Jaune scoops Weiss up into his arms and runs in to the woods. I feel a sense of peace, knowing that my friends were headed away from harm.

"How idiotic. You truly think that by sending them away you saved them." Adam laughs. "You've only made it worse for them. After I take my time with you, I'm going to hunt down every last one of your _friends_ and I will make you watch as I kill them. Then you'll truly be alone."

"No." I say. "That won't happen. I won't let you get near them."

"We spent years together Blake. And in that time, not once were you ever able to beat me in a fight. What makes you think this time will be any different?" he asks.

"Because this time I have something worth fighting for." I rush towards him, ready to fight.

* * *

 **Jaune's POV**

I run. I run as fast as I can with Weiss cradled in my arms. The blood from her wound soaking into my shirt. My lungs burn for air and my eyes blur with unshed tears.

"Jaune. Jaune stop!" yells Weiss. I shake my head.

"No. I promised. I promised her I would save you." I say, not slowing down.

"We're safe Jaune. Jaune! Jaune stop!" Weiss scream. I stop dead in my tracks. I look down at Weiss. "Put me down."

"But."

"Just do it!" she demands. I gently set Weiss down, helping her lean against a tree. She winces. Her face is paler than usual, which is hard to imagine. "You… you need to go back and help Blake."

"She said to get the others first. And I'm not leaving you here alone, you can't even stand." I argue.

"I'll send the others our coordinates and they'll get here as fast as they can, but Blake needs help now." Weiss says.

"I can't leave you."

"You don't have a choice! That monster is going to kill Blake! Do you understand that?" she cries. "She's my teammate. I should be the one helping her, but I can't. So you have to do it for me." I look at Weiss, weak and bleeding onto the forest floor. She's helpless. She can't defend herself right now. What if there are more White Fang members out there? But at the same time, she's right. Blake needs help. She's already injured. I don't see her winning a fight against that guy. I feel torn, but I know what I have to do.

"Okay. I'm going back. Call for help and keep your scroll close so you can call me back if anything happens." I say.

"Just hurry." She pleads. I give her one last look before I turn and run back towards Blake.

My heart is pounding. I'm not sure if it's from running or from the crippling fear clawing at me. It's not fear for me, but for Blake. She's alone with that man. Someone that she apparently used to know. Weiss said it was her old partner, but how could someone who was once her friend hurt her? And the look on Blake's face. She looked so desperate and afraid. And I left her there. If only I was stronger. Then I could've stayed and fought and kept Weiss safe at the same time. But that doesn't matter now. Right now I just need to get back to her.

I finally break into the clearing where I left Blake. The golden field of grass is stained with blood. My eyes follow the red path to the middle of the field where I watch in horror as Adam slides his blade into Blake's chest. She falls to the ground with his weapon still protruding from her torso. I run blindly with my sword raised. I red headed man hears me coming and turns as I strike with my sword.

He doesn't have time to pull his blade from Blake's upper body and is forced to block my blow with his rifle. I bash my shield into him, but he doesn't budge. Instead he laughs. He grabs my sword with his free hand, his aura protecting him from getting cut. I try to pull it from his grasp, but I don't have the leverage. He then takes the butt of his gun and slams it into my face. I fly backwards and land on the ground. I no longer have my sword. I scramble to find it, but then I realize that Adam still has it. He throws it to the side.

"Pathetic." He says as he walks up to me. I lunge at him with my shield. He dodges and hits me in the side of the head with his gun. I land hard on my side. My ears ringing. I try to get up, but another sharp hit to my head sends me falling back to the ground. I taste blood. I feel my shield being ripped from my hands. I fight to keep ahold of it. Out of the corner of my eye I see him swing his gun at me again. I dodge the hit, but lose my grip on my shield. I hurry and try to stand, but I'm met with the barrel of a gun pointing at my face, forcing me to stay on my knees.

"Absolutely pathetic." He sneers. "I can't believe Blake would associate with someone as weak as you. It's funny that you think that you could save anyone, when you can't even save yourself. That's why Blake sent you away. She knew you would only be a burden if you stayed. You're a joke. Killing you is the merciful thing to do."

He aims his gun at my head and pulls the trigger. The loud gunshot echoes across the field. I feel no pain, and I see only darkness.

* * *

 **What do you think will happen next? Please leave a review and tell me what you thought.**

 **-Echo Artemis**


	6. Chapter 6

**Haxler, chronotimeguard, Knights and dragons, brandon2071, Cabbage Cabrera, OutSquash13, IWEYC.**

 **Thank you for the reviews and continued support.**

 **I don't own anything.**

* * *

Blake's POV

I don't feel like I'm able to move, but watching Jaune stare down the barrel of a gun is more than enough to force my body into action. I promised myself I would keep him safe, and I can't break another promise. My own weapon is out of commission, but Adam has unknowingly provided me with a replacement. It doesn't hurt as I pull the sword from my chest and start running towards Adam. I move so fast, I feel like I'm flying. The world bends around me until all I see is Adam and Jaune. I move without thought. My instincts push me forward. I sail past Jaune and straight to Adam. He never saw me coming. My heart aches.

As I drive the blade forward, I don't see an enemy. I see a boy. A sad smile and a kind heart, reaching down to me and raising me up when I was too weak to stand on my own. As his blood spills onto my skin, I don't see a monster. I see a friend, promising to keep me safe before he even knew my name. As a garbled roar leaves his lips and I hear his pain, I remember laughter. Our sounds of happiness echoing in the dark, because despite the hardships we faced, we had each other. And as the burning fire in his eyes fades, I don't see evil. I see love. The same love that drove him to save me and me to save him, more times than we could count. But somewhere along the way, that love was lost, and it wasn't big enough to save us in the end.

I know I'm injured. I know I'm dying. But the only pain I feel is in my soul as I look at what I've done. And as we lie side by side, covered in each other's blood, part of me wishes I could take it back. Take everything back. But what else could I have done? Maybe this was the only way it could end. I always thought Adam and I would die together. I just never dreamed that we would end up killing each other. The only bit of peace I gained from my actions, is knowing that Jaune will live. But even that is not enough to ease the pain as my soul burns with regret, guilt, and sadness. And so I eagerly let the darkness take me from my suffering.

* * *

 **Jaune's POV**

He aims his gun at my head and pulls the trigger. The loud gunshot echoes across the field. I feel no pain, and I see only darkness. Darkness as a shadow passes over me. It takes a second for my brain to realize what happened. Then the world around me freezes and falls apart in the same moment.

Blake stands in between me and Adam. The dark red sword that Adam had left in her chest is now in her hands. She points the blade straight in front of her. Right through Adam's neck. Her head snaps back with a sickening crack as the bullet that was meant for me slams into her face. Her hands release the sword and she falls limply to the ground.

Adam staggers for a moment before dropping to his knees. His hands try to grab his sword from his neck, but they don't seem to be functioning right. He screams, but it sounds muffled, like he's drowning. His body gives out and he falls stiffly onto his side, next to Blake. The Grimm mask he wore slides from his face. His dark eyes are wide with confusion, rage, and something else I can't identify. He stares at Blake as one last breath rattles his body. He goes limp, his lifeless eyes, wide and watching, look out at nothing.

I'm still on my knees. A gun was being pointed at my face less than a minute ago. How did all this happen in less than a minute? How did it happen at all? Blake she… how did she get in front of Adam so fast without either of us noticing that she even moved? Why did she… Blake. I look down at her unmoving form in front of me. Her clothes are torn, her pale skin is stained red, and her body is covered in cuts and slashes. She looks dead.

Dead. That one thought, that single possibility, sets everything in motion again. Time starts moving forward again, and so do I. I reach towards Blake with shaky hands. I don't want to hurt her, but I need to move her. I have to see if she's okay. She needs to be okay. My hands shake as I press them to her throat in hope of finding a pulse. One second. Two. Three.

"No No No! Please Blake. Please be okay." I beg. Four. Five. There! It's weak, but I feel it. A soft pulse slowing beating against my fingers.

I slowly roll her on to her back. Tears fall freely from my eyes. I look at her broken body. Through all the blood and more minor injuries, I see the gaping wound in her chest where she pulled Adams sword from. I franticly look around for something that will help stop the bleeding. A few feet away I see Gambol Shroud, or at least what's left of it. I quickly reach for it. The Blade is bent and melted in some places, but it's still sharp.

I use the blade to cut my shirt out from underneath my armor. I pull the cloth from my body and rip a large piece off. As carefully as I can I wrap the torn shirt around her, covering the chest wound and the exit wound on her back. Once I'm done, I take a deep breath and move to her head.

I move her blood soaked hair from her face. My stomach lurches. Blood pours from the right side of her face, I can't even pinpoint the injury. I swallow hard and take what's left of my shirt and press it over her face. The shirt is quickly soaked with blood. A sob escapes my throat.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Blake." I cry. "It's all my fault. It …. It should've been me." I bow my head and rest it against her shoulder. Her skin is cold against my face. No. I can't cry. Not until Blake is safe. Not until I get her help.

I lift my head and pull myself together. I look around, hoping to catch sight of the others running into the clearing. But we're alone. I gently gather Blake into my arms and stand on unsteady legs. She feels so light, too light, in my arms. I glance down one last time at Adam. I've never seen a dead body before. I think I should feel something, but as I look into his empty eyes, I feel nothing. I turn my back on him and start running.

I run just like I did only a few minutes ago when I was carrying Weiss. But this is different. Blake is dead weight in my arms. I have to hold her as close as I can so that the braches I run by don't hit her. As I move through the trees, I look down at her. She's unrecognizable. She looks nothing like my friend. Nothing like the strong, quiet girl I've gotten to know. It's hard to believe that we only started to really get to know each other less than a month ago. A month. That's not long enough! We need more time. _She_ needs more time. I start running faster. A small bit of relief blossoms in my heart when I see a blur of red ahead of me and the subtle scent of roses fills my nose.

"Ruby!" I scream. My voice sounds raw. In a flash, she's in front of me. Her already panicked expression contorts as her eyes land on the figure in my arms.

"Blake…..what…." she tries to ask question through tear filled eyes, but I don't have time for that. Blake doesn't have time.

"Where are the others!" I demand.

"Umm…. Ren and Nora took Weiss back to the landing site to call for an airship. Everyone else is right behind me. I just ran ahead so I could get to you faster." She says, quickly composing herself, letting her role as a leader show.

"Lead me to them." I say. She nods and turns on her heal, running back in the direction she came from. I follow as fast as I can.

"Almost there Blake. Just a little bit longer." I whisper, hoping she can hear me. Within a few minutes we run into the others. I don't have the focus or the energy to look at their reactions. Doctor Oobleck rushes up to me and starts examining Blake as I hold her.

"What's her condition?" he asks.

"She…umm….she was stabbed through the chest with a sword, and….. she was shot point blank in the right side of her face." My voice shakes.

"Is the person who did this still after you?" Oobleck asks.

"He's dead." I say with no traces of remorse in my voice. Oobleck doesn't seem fazed, he simple accepts my answer and moves on.

"We must get Miss Belladonna to the landing site as soon as possible, everyone, let's move." Oobleck commands. I don't waste any time. I charge ahead. I hear the others talking around me as I run. Maybe even asking me questions, but I ignore them. Instead, I focus on putting one foot in front of the other, and the sound of shallow breathing as Blake struggles to stay alive.

After what feels like an eternity, I finally break into the clearing were Weiss, Ren, and Nora wait. Ren is holding bandages to Weiss's leg. They freeze and stare in horror when they notice me.

"Jaune, put her down here." Oobleck says.

"No, I got her." I say, taking a step back from him.

"I know. But I need to look at her wounds so I can help her." he says. I nod my head. I kneel on the ground and gently set Blake down. Part of me is afraid to let her go. Like holding her was keeping her alive. But I know Oobleck can do more good than I ever could. I stay kneeling beside her as he looks her over. The deep frown on his face isn't encouraging.

"Ren, I need the rest of those bandages." Ren gives Oobleck some bandages. It's only then that I realize that everyone is gathered around us. Silently watching, hoping.

"Where is that airship?" ask Oobleck with urgency.

"They said they were thirty minutes out. That was almost twenty minutes ago." Says Pyrrha, she's standing right next to me, but I can't bring myself to look at her.

"That's not good enough." Oobleck says under his breath as he presses more dressings to Blake's wounds. "Jaune, hold this bandage here. Press down hard." I do as he says. Pressing the cloth against the wound on her chest.

"Is she going to be okay?" Someone, I think Yang, asks. Oobleck doesn't answer. Instead he pulls out his scroll with his now blood covered hands. He holds it up to his ear.

"This is Dr. Oobleck. I need that air ship here right now!" I don't hear what's said on the other end, but anger sweeps over his face. "I don't care what it takes! Move faster. We have injured in need of immediate medical attention." He throws his scroll to the side and turns his attention back to Blake.

"Will they make it in time?" my voice cracks as I speak. Oobleck sighs.

"Only time will tell." He says as he looks under the bandages on Blake's head.

I think about Oobleck's words as I stare at Blake. _Only time will tell._ Time. I never knew how odd time was until today. How mere moments can change everything. How can everything be fine one second, and go to hell the next? Happiness to tragedy in a blink of an eye. And how can waiting ten minutes for an airship feel like forever?

"It's here!" someone shouts. I look to the sky, taking my eyes off Blake for the first time. The airship quickly descends landing roughly beside us. Beacon medics jump from the door and rush to us. They start shouting questions, and Oobeck start yelling answers. I can hardly keep up with anything.

One of the medics helps Weiss onto the ship, while the other two surround Blake. I get pushed out of the way. I try to fight my way back to Blake, but someone is holding me back. I know they're only trying to help Blake, but they don't understand. I can't leave her. Not again. But arms continue to hold me back as Blake is strapped down to a stretcher. They start to move her to the ship.

"Let me go!" I yell.

"Calm down Jaune. You need to let them do their job." Says the person holding me back.

"I can't leave her. Please! Let me help her. I need to help her!" I start sobbing and I turn to fight the person.

"The best way you can help is by letting the medics do what they're trained to do. And by calming down. The faster you calm down, the faster we can get Blake back to Beacon. Please Jaune. Trust me." I look up at the person holding on to me. It's Pyrrha. She's crying. I've never seen her cry before. I push back against every instinct telling me to run to Blake, and I make myself stop fighting.

"Okay." I whisper, sagging a bit in her arms. "Let's go." She finally lets me go, and we both rush to board the ship.

"Everyone strap in! We'll be going full steam ahead back to Beacon, so it's going to be a rough ride." Shouts Oobleck. I reluctantly buckle myself into a seat and look on as the medics rush around Blake on the other side of the ship. I feel the hull shutter as we take off into the air.

"Jaune…Jaune." I pull my gaze from Blake and look towards Yang. "What the hell happened out there?" her face is stained with tears. Her eyes quickly change from red to violet and back again as she continually looks between me and her partner. Everyone watches me. Waiting for my answer. I look over at Weiss. She looks back at me as the medic tends to her leg. Did she tell the others about Adam? Did she tell them how I left Blake?

"It's my fault." I say out loud without even realizing it.

"What do you mean?" ask Ruby. I open my mouth, but no words come out.

"We can sort out what happened later. Right now we must focus on getting everyone back home." says Oobleck. I'm grateful for his interjection. I don't know how to tell them what happened.

How do I tell Yang that her partner and friend had to sacrifice herself to save me? How do I look at Pyrrha and tell her I was too weak and useless to do anything? How can I lead my team when I can't even save myself? When people I care about are hurt because I can't fight, how can I face any of them? I failed. I failed my team. I failed team RWBY. And worst of all, I failed Blake.

I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up at Pyrrha as she tries to comfort me.

"I doubt any of this was your fault." She says.

"You weren't there." I say as I pull away from her hand. I don't want her comfort. I don't deserve it.

A long high pitched beep sounds out around us. It feels like my heart drops into my gut as I watch the medics hover franticly around Blake.

"Her heart Stopped." One of them shouts. "Start compressions." One of them starts pushing against her chest, while the other starts forcing a tube down her throat.

"Don't aggravate her chest wound." The second one shouts.

"We can worry about her wound after we get her heart started again." says the other. The shrill, unrelenting noise continues as Blake's heart refuses to beat. I can't take it anymore. I rip off my buckle and jump from my seat. I rush to Blake's side.

"Get back in your seat kid!" someone yells. I ignore them. I gently grab onto Blake's hand. I lean down close to her. I'm not sure what I'm doing. I just know that I need to be close to her. I need to let her know that I'm not going to leave her, so she can't leave either.

"Don't go Blake." I whisper. "You're too brave to just go like this. Cowards run and hide, but the brave stay and fight, even when they don't want to. You told me that Blake. Remember? You're not a coward Blake. So you can't run and hide from this. You have to stay and fight. You have to be brave."

I hold my breath. The high pitched beep drones on. Seconds tick by. I keep holding my breath. I won't breathe until she does.

"Two minutes. Still no pulse." The medic says.

"Please Blake. Stop running. Fight." I beg. There's a pause in the alarm.

"We got a pulse!" someone shouts. My legs buckle and I fall to the floor. I here different sounds of relief echo around me as Blake starts living again. I feel someone pull me back to my seat. I don't fight it. I'm too exhausted.

The air ship jolts to the side, I glance out the window. We're back at Beacon. A small crowd is gathered around the docks. As soon as we land the medics are rushing out the doors with Blake and Weiss. We all follow closely behind. No one tries to stop us. I ignore the gasps and looks of horror as we pass groups of students on our way to the infirmary.

As soon as we enter the building, Blake is surrounded by doctors and nurses. I feel like I'm buried in chaos. Nothing makes sense. The words the doctors say are meaningless. They push us all back as they take Blake through a large set of doors. I try to follow, but the doors are already locked.

I lean my head against the door and let my tears fall as I silently cry. I slide down to the floor and I start wishing. I wish for Blake to be alright. I wish that I could take her place. I wish we had never gone on this mission in the first place. And I… I wish that Adam had been wrong. But he wasn't. Adam was right. I'm a joke. And killing me would have been merciful. Especially for Blake.

* * *

 **Did you guys like it? Is there anything you would like to see in the next few chapters? Please leave a review and let me know what you think.**

 **-Echo Artemis**


	7. Chapter 7

**IWEYC, Cabbage Cabrera, fer gp, IndecentNoise609.**

 **Thank you all for your continued support. And everyone should go check out IWEYC's story** _ **Heroes and Villains.**_ **It's an interesting concept, and is worth looking into.**

 **I don't own anything.**

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Jaune's POV

In one of the books Blake gave me, the main hero in the story died in the very first chapter. I was less than thirty minutes into the book and he just suddenly dies. I didn't want to read anymore. What good is a story when it starts with the end? I asked Blake why they would kill the character so soon. She told me that I would have to keep reading to find out. So begrudgingly, I continued to read the book. After the protagonist died, the story flashed back to his birth. It went on to document his entire life. His journey from boy to hero, and all the great and valiant sacrifices he made to save the word. By the time I reached the end of the book, I had forgotten that he died.

Blake told me that was the point of the book. It showed you a man so heroic, that his deeds overshadowed his death. She said it was like immortality. To live a life so great, your death can be forgotten. That conversation keeps running through my head.

I can't stop thinking of Blake as that hero in the book. The hero died before you even got to know him. If Blake dies, it will be like she died in the first chapter of her story. And when I think about it, I hardly know anything about her. I don't know her story. If she dies, all I'll have is that first chapter. A small glimpse of what could've been. And that's not good enough for me. It isn't good enough for her.

"Jaune." I look up for the first time in….. I don't know. I'm sitting against the wall in the infirmary waiting room. Everyone else is gathered here too. Nora has her head resting on Ren's shoulder as the two sit quietly on a couch. Ruby is talking calmly to Yang as the blonde paces back and forth. And Pyrrha….. She's crouched down beside me. She must have been the one to say my name. "Jaune. Professor Ozpin is here. He wants to speak to you."

"About what?" I ask, then immediately realize what a stupid question that is.

"He just said he needs to speak with you. He's waiting in the hallway outside." She stands and then offers me her hand. I want to reject it. I don't want help from anyone. But I know if I do, it will only hurt her feelings. And I've hurt enough people today. I grab onto her hand and she helps me up. I keep my eyes glued to the floor as I walk out into the hallway. I look up when I hear people talking. Ozpin, Goodwitch, and Oobleck are there speaking in hushed voices. They go silent when they notice me.

"Jaune. I would ask if you were alright, but I already know what your answer would be." says Ozpin. I grind my teeth as I try to fight back a sob.

"You wanted to see me?" I manage to say.

"Yes. Dr. Oobleck has been filling me in on what happened. However, there is much he doesn't know." Ozpin says. "I know this is difficult, but we can't wait any longer. We need to know exactly what happened. And so do Blake's teammates."

"I….. I know." I whisper. The last thing I want to do is recount the events that just happened, but Ozpin is right. Everyone deserves to know.

"Before we begin, I think it would be best if you clean yourself up." Says Goodwitch. I frown. Why should it matter if I'm clean or not? I look down at my hands. They're caked in dried blood. So is my armor. I can feel the blood drying on my face as well. It's everywhere. I stumble back a few steps, as if I can run from the gore. How did I not realize I was covered in blood?

"I'm…I didn't." I stutter.

"It's fine. Why don't you give me your armor, and I'll send it to be cleaned." Says Goodwitch. I nod my head then I mechanically remove all my armor. I hand it over to Goodwitch. She takes it then hands me a clean shirt. "Go clean up in the restroom over there and meet us in the waiting room."

I go without a word, eager to get the blood off of me. I push open the restroom door and lock it behind me. Without thinking, I glance up in the mirror. My blood splattered face stares back at me. Weiss's blood, Blake's blood. All over me. I start gagging. I rush to the toilet, my knees crack against the tile floor as I hit the ground and hunch over. I empty my stomach into the bowl.

After a while, my stomach seems to settle. I sit there for a minute and try to catch my breath. I rake my fingers through my hair. I try to once again wrap my mind around what's happening. It just doesn't seem real. Or maybe it's too real. I don't know. Either way, I need to calm down. I need to be strong so I can go out there and tell everyone what happened. I can't cry. I don't want anyone's pity. And Blake deserves better than that.

I pick myself up off the floor and walk to the sink. I don't look in the mirror this time. I quickly and methodically scrub the blood off my body. I have the water so hot, it burns. But it's still not hot enough. I wash until the water swirling down the drain becomes clear instead of pink. I want to keep washing, but I can't put off going out there any longer. I put on the shirt Goodwitch gave me and leave the restroom before I can change my mind.

I enter the waiting room, but nobody notices me. Their attention is focused on a doctor that's speaking solemnly to the group. My heart starts pounding furiously as I hurry forward to the doctor. Please, please let it be good news.

"What's going on?" I asks desperately. Pyrrha puts a calming hand on my shoulder.

"She was just about to tell us." She says. Ozpin nods for the doctor to continue.

"As I was saying, I just finished treating Weiss. The injury on her leg was severe, there was a lot of muscle damage." She says.

"Will she be okay?" asks Ruby, the tremble in her voice barely audible.

"Her aura has already begun to heal the wound. She should make a full recovery, but she'll need to stay off her leg for a few days." Says the doctor. "We're going to keep her overnight just to be safe."

"What about Blake?" Yang asks.

"I'm sorry, I'm not her doctor so I don't know much about her condition." She says.

"Well what _do_ you know?" I asks, hoping for some information.

"She's still in surgery, but she's alive." she says. "I'm sorry, but that's all I can tell you."

"What about Weiss? Can we see her?" asks Ruby. The doctor sighs.

"Normally I wouldn't allow visitors right now, but she is rather insistent on speaking to one of you." The doctor says.

"Who? Is it me?" asks Ruby.

"No. She's asking for Jaune Arc." She says. Everyone turns to me.

"What? Why me?" I ask. I would think she would want to talk to one of her teammates, not me.

"You'll have to ask her." says the doctor. "If you would follow me, I'll take you to her." The doctor starts moving and I automatically start following her. But someone grabs my arm, stopping me. I look down at Ruby, her silver eyes shining with tears.

"Tell her we're all here for her." says Ruby.

"I… I will." Ruby lets me go.

The doctor leads me into the infirmary. We walk past several empty beds before we reach Weiss. She's sitting up in the bed fidgeting with the crisp white bandages that cover her leg. She's no longer wearing her standard dress, instead she's wrapped in a loose hospital gown that's about three sizes too big for her. She looks up at me when I reach the end of the bed.

"You can only stay for a few minutes." Says the doctor. "I have other patients I need to check on, but I'll be back soon." Weiss watches the doctor until she's out of sight, then turns her attention back to me.

"Have you told the others anything yet?" she asks.

"No not…."

"Good. I wanted to talk to you before you did." Says Weiss.

"Do…. did you want me to tell you first?" I ask. Weiss sighs and shakes her head.

"I can pretty much guess what happened. I'll have to learn about the details later. We need to discuss something more important right know, and we don't have much time before that doctor comes back." She says.

"What is it?" I ask.

"You need to keep some aspects of what happened secret." Says Weiss. My eyes widen.

"Why? What are you talking about?" I ask.

"You can't tell Ozpin that the man who attacked us was Blake's old partner." She says.

"Why not?"

"Because that would link her to the White Fang. Who knows what would happen if everyone found out that Blake once worked for a group of terrorists." Says Weiss.

"I…. I didn't think about that." I say.

"I thought not." Weiss says.

"But….. I'm not sure about lying to Ozpin." I say.

"You don't need to lie, just leave that part out." Says Weiss. "You need to do it for Blake. To keep her safe." Weiss is right. I failed to protect Blake once, I won't fail again.

"What about Ruby and Yang?" I ask.

"You can tell them later." She says. She pauses for a second. I can tell she wants to say something else, so I wait for her to form the words. "Jaune…. Do you know what they were talking about?"

"Who?" I ask. Weiss looks down at her lap.

"Blake and…..and that man." She's whispering now, and I have to lean in to hear her. "He said the Schnee's did something to Blake, and that he was going to do the same to me. Do you know what they were talking about?"

"No. I have no idea."

"Neither do I." she says while continuing to stare at her hands.

"Maybe Blake will tell us later." I say. Weiss finally looks up at me. She's crying.

"I hope so." She says.

"Okay Mr. Arc, that's all the time I can give you." I jump at the sound of the doctor's voice.

"Okay." I say. I turn back to Weiss, she's hastily wiping her tears away. "Ruby. She wanted me to tell you that everyone is here for you. You're not alone."

"I….. well, they don't need to be worried about me." says Weiss. She almost seems surprised, like she never had people worry about her before.

"I'll tell them you said hi." I say. I walk back through the infirmary and through the doors that lead to the waiting room. Everyone jumps up when I enter.

"How's Weiss?" asks Yang.

"She's okay. She said not to worry about her." I say.

"Why did she want to talk to you?" asks Ruby.

"She… I'll tell you later." I say. Ruby and Yang don't seem satisfied with that answer, but Ozpin steps in before they can question me further.

"Now that you're back, would you be so kind as to give you're report on what happened?" Ozpin demands, more than asks.

"Okay." I say. Everyone seems to crowd around me, their unwavering eyes burn my skin. I feel like I can't breathe. I struggle to stay calm. I clear my throat. "After we….after we split up. I'm not sure how long it was, but Weiss, Blake, and I came to an open field. Blake….Blake heard something, I think. She yelled, told us to head back for the tree line. But before we could move, Blake got hit. She jump in front of Weiss, taking a bullet.

We couldn't see anyone, anywhere. I…. I tried to help Blake while Weiss kept watch. But… he just showed up out of nowhere. Adam….." I remember what Weiss said. I can't say anything that might link Blake to the White Fang. "He called himself Adam, he said he was with the White Fang."

"Adam? Are you sure?" Asks Ozpin.

"Y…yes." I get nervous, thinking that maybe I said something that gave away Blake. "Why do you ask?"

"It could just be a coincidence." Says Goodwitch.

"What could?" I ask.

"This isn't really a well-known fact, but the leader of the White Fang is named Adam." Says Ozpin.

"Wh…What?" I stutter. Was Blake's ex-partner the leader of the White Fang?

"A man named Adam Taurus began leading the White Fang a couple years ago. The White Fang had already become radical, but there crimes were usually not that violent. But after Adam Taurus took over, extreme violence became the new normal for the White Fang." Says Ozpin.

"Do you think that that's the same man that attacked us?" I ask.

"I don't know, I'll have to look into It." says Ozpin. "For now, you should continue with what happened."

"Yeah…. well. It…. it was all a trap. That's what he said anyway. He said that there was never a crashed transport ship. He claimed to have sent false information to get us out there." Ozpin looks genuinely shocked at this.

"That isn't possible. Is it?" asks Goodwitch.

"Glynda, go contact the Schnee Dust company directly. See if they're missing any ships." Says Ozpin.

"And if they're not?" she asks.

"Then contact General Ironwood. If what Jaune says is true, then we have a serious security breach." Says Ozpin.

"Why would the White Fang want to trick us to come out there?" asks Ruby.

"He wanted Weiss." I say. "He wanted to take her. I… I don't know why. We tried to fight him off, but he was so fast and powerful. Our auras weren't strong enough to protect us. He took down Weiss. She couldn't fight back once her leg was wounded. Blake….. she protected Weiss. And then she told me to get Weiss somewhere safe. I didn't…. I didn't want to. I shouldn't have left, but…. I picked up Weiss and ran.

After…. After a while, I stopped. I put Weiss down and I went back for Blake. I thou…. I thought I could help her. When I got back to the clearing….. He stabbed her…..I saw him. He stabbed her through the chest." I gasp.

"Do you need to take a break?" asks Ozpin.

"No! I have to finish this." I say. "He stabbed her. And she just fell to the ground. I tried to help, but I only made it worse. He beat me so easily. I was weak. I…. he had the gun pointed at my face. The bullet was meant for me. I didn't see Blake until it was too late. Neither did He.

She jumped in front of me and hit him with the sword right when the gun went off. The bullet… it hit her and…She… she just stopped moving. And Adam he….. he tried to…. But the blade was in his neck. He couldn't breathe. He died…. Right in front of me. I didn't…. I thought Blake was dead too. I…. it was my fault. I'm sorry. She… she got hurt because of me."

Tears run down my face, I can no longer hold them back. I did it. I told them. Now they know who to blame.

"It's not your fault." Says Ruby. "You helped save Weiss, and you went back for Blake. You did everything you could."

"But it wasn't enough. I didn't last minute against him." I say.

"No matter how much training or experience you have, there will always be an opponent that is stronger, and more skilled then you." Says Ozpin. "Ruby is right. You did everything you could. And Blake did the same thing you would have done if your roles were reversed. Huntsmen and Huntresses are trained to protect others no matter what the cost. And from what I heard, you both acted as you were trained to. What happened is in no way your fault."

I don't respond to Ozpin's claim. I don't care what he says, I'm still to blame for what happened. I couldn't fight that monster, because I don't really belong here. Blake is hurt because I lied. I lied to get into Beacon. I pretended to be something I'm not. And that lie might cost Blake her life. Why was I so selfish? I just wanted to become a huntsmen so much, that I didn't care about anyone else.

I dry the tears from my face, and keep my gaze on the ground. I hear the others offer a few words of comfort, but I ignore them. After a while, Ozpin is called back to his office, and my teammates, Yang, and Ruby go back to their places in the waiting room. The only one who doesn't leave my side is Pyrrha. She stands silently beside me. Hours pass. The sun sets. Nurses and teachers encourage us to go get some rest, but all of us stay. We can't leave, not until we get some news about Blake. Maybe not even after that.

When my body starts screaming for me to sit, a doctor finally appears.

"I assume you're all here for Blake Belladonna." He says as we gather around him.

"Is she okay?" asks Yang, he body shaking in anticipation. The doctor takes a deep breath.

"First, I need to ask if Blake has any family members. It's important that we contact them." He says.

"The only family she has is us." Says Yang. The doctor frowns.

"I see. Well, it was touch and go for a while, but she made it through surgery."

"She's alive?!" I say

"Yes. But she's still in critical condition." Says the doctor.

"What does that mean?" asks Ruby.

"It means that she's not out of the woods yet. Her injuries were very severe. She has many cuts and bruises all over her body. She has a few broken ribs, and her left arm is broken in three places. The wound on her chest damaged her left lung and shoulder. Because of that, she's unable to breathe on her own right now, so we have her on a ventilator. And as bad as all that is, it's her head wound that we're really worried about."

"How… how bad is it?" I ask.

"We believe that the bullet she was hit with was an explosive dust round. She has burns on the right side of her face. Her right eye took a lot of damage, and that damage might be permanent. Her skull was fractured from the blast, causing her brain to swell." Says the doctor. "We've done everything we can for her, all we can do now is wait and see if her condition improves."

"So she…. You're saying she could still die." Says Yang.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but that's a possibility." He says.

"And you're just going to sit there and see what happens?" Yang says with red eyes.

"We will do everything we can for her, Miss Xiao Long. I promise." He says.

"Can we see her?" I ask.

"I'm afraid that's not possible. The next twenty four hours are critical. It's important that she isn't disturbed."

"Are you saying that we can't see her for twenty four hours?" asks Yang.

"I'm sorry, but if you want what is best for your teammate, you'll just have to wait." He says. "I wish I could stay and answer more of your questions, but I need to get back to work."

We all stand in silence after the doctor leaves. We don't move. We don't speak. We don't do anything. What can we do, what can we say that would make this better? I feel helpless.

"She's going to be fine." Says Yang, finally breaking the silence. I look up at her.

"How do you now that?" I ask.

"Because Blake is my partner. She's our teammate, our friend. We know her, and she knows us. She's too strong to die like this. And I know we're too strong to let her die." Yang stomps over to a chair and sits down. "So for the next day, I'm staying right here. This way, I can yell at her for making me worry the second she wakes up." Ruby follows Yang's lead and sits in the chair next to her.

"Well if you're going to yell at her, then someone needs to be here to give her a hug afterwards." Says Ruby.

"Ren can dance for her and I'll get her pancakes!" says Nora as she drags Ren back to their spot on the couch.

"Jaune and I can offer her our support when she awakens." Says Pyrrha. "Right Jaune?"

"Right. As soon as she wakes up." I smile, allowing myself to be overcome by a fragile sense of hope.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? I know everything is depressing right now, but I promise things get better. And some of you wanted to know about any other pairings I might add in the story. I really haven't put much thought into it yet, so I'm open to any and all suggestions. Please leave a review. Until next time.**

 **-Echo Artemis**


	8. Chapter 8

**Outrunner, IWEYC, Cabbage Cabrera.**

 **Thank you all for your continued support. I don't own anything.**

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Blake's POV

 _Stop running. Fight_. Those words echo in my ears and repeat in my mind. I don't want to listen to them. I want to give up. My body and my soul are begging me to run. Away from the pain, the sorrow, and the heavy weight of life. I want to run towards the empty comfort that only the darkness that surrounds me can provide. I can feel it slowly erasing who I was, who I am, and who I could be. I know this should scare me, but all I feel is relief as my past and future is dissolved away. For the first time in years I feel no pain, only peace.

But that voice. It won't leave me alone. It's holding me back. I want to ignore it, but I can't. There's something about it. It's not the desperation as it pleads for me to stay, or the conviction as it tells me I'm too brave to run. It's the love. The raw, emotional love woven into every word spoken. And it surprises me to have that want and need directed at me.

I've never had someone express such strong emotions towards me. I can't stop myself from reacting to it. This voice, I long to find its owner. To comfort him and remove the pain from his tone. I want, no, I need to help him. I need it more than I need the soothing peace the darkness is offering. So I listen to the voice. I stop running, and I start fighting.

The darkness doesn't want to let me go. It takes everything I have to pull against it. As I struggle and crawl, the only thing that moves me is that voice. As excruciating memories return to my mind, his voice drags me forward. As the sharp pain returns to every inch of my body, his voice carries me. And as my ears begin to fill with the sounds of the world around me, his voice is still the loudest.

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 **Jaune's POV**

"She…. Blake woke up?" I ask, desperate to believe it's true, but still too scared to be hopeful.

"Yes, for a moment." Says the doctor. "She started to breath on her own again and she woke up for a moment when we removed the breathing tube from her throat."

"But she's not awake anymore." Says Yang, her tone disappointed.

"No, but her condition is improving. She's breathing on her own and the swelling in her brain has greatly diminished." Says the doctor. "Your friend is a fighter. It's going to take time for her to recover, but I believe she'll be just fine."

"So, she's going to be okay?" asks Ruby.

"Barring any complications, yes." says the doctor. "We're moving her out of critical care. You'll be able to see her as soon as we get her settled."

"Really! But it hasn't been twenty four hours yet." Says Ruby. "We still have like six hours to go."

"Hush Ruby! Don't make him change his mind." says Yang. The doctor smiles.

"Don't worry, I won't change my mind. Twenty four hours was just an estimate. Fortunately, Miss Belladonna's condition has improved much faster than we thought it would." He says.

"So can we see her now?" I ask. I shift my weight from one foot to the other, unable to remain still.

"Well, the nurses should have her set up by now." He says. "I supposes I can go ahead and take you to her." We all eagerly follow the doctor. It feels like it takes forever to walk through the infirmary, but eventually we arrive at Blake's room. "Do your best not to disturb her, or I'll have to ask you to leave."

I'm not listening to the doctor anymore. All my attention, and everyone else's, is on Blake. Her delicate frame is covered in a blanket from the waist down. Her torso is covered in a thin hospital gown. Her exposed right arm is wrapped in bandages, while her left is covered in a stiff cast. More bandages cover her chest, neck, and shoulders. The right side of her face is hidden under white bandages as well, and the left is hidden by shallow cuts and bruises. A crushing ache in my chest explodes into agony.

"Weiss?" says Ruby, making me tear my eyes away from Blake. I look to the side and see Weiss sitting in a chair next to Blake's bed. She's still in her hospital gown, and she's holding onto a pair of crutches. I was so focused on Blake, I didn't even notice her. She looks exhausted.

"They…. The doctors just released me." says Weiss almost defensively. "I saw Blake being moved in here so I thought I would check on her before I….. And it's not like I could just leave wearing this ugly hospital gown." Her voice begins to shake to more she talks. Her eyes are wet with unshed tears. Ruby, for once, remains silent. She walks up to Weiss and wraps her arms around the heiress. Weiss tries to resist the hug for only a moment before she collapses into the embrace. She sobs into Ruby's shoulder.

"Everything's going to be okay Weiss." Says Ruby. Weiss pulls away from her and shakes her head.

"No. It won't. Not until I understand what happened." says Weiss as she angrily brushes her tears away. "That….monster went after us because of something my family did. I need to know. I …. I just need to know."

"We'll figure all that out later." Says Yang as she moves to stand by the rest of her team. "For now, we need to focus on getting you and Blake all healed up."

"Yang's right. We're all alive, and right now, that's all that matters." Says Ruby.

"But…"

"Nope, no buts Weiss." Says Ruby. Weiss just sighs and turns her attention back towards Blake.

"So how long do you think it will be before sleeping beauty here wakes up." Says Yang, covering up her worry with a thin joke.

"There's no way to know." Says Weiss. "We'll just have to wait."

"Then we'll wait." I say.

"Sorry, but not all of you can stay." Says the doctor as he joins us in the room. "Her teammates are allowed to stay with her, but everyone else will have to return during visiting hours tomorrow."

"No. I can't leave." I say.

"Jaune." Whispers Pyrrha. "We should listen to the doctor."

"No. I won't leave." I say again.

"I'm sorry Mr. Arc, but the rules state that.."

"Screw the rules." I growl. "I _need_ to stay. I promised her. _Please._ Let me see this through." The doctor sighs and rubs a hand down his face.

"Alright. You can stay for now, but I have to run it by Ozpin." Says the doctor. "But the rest of team JNPR still has to go."

"Thank you." I say, relived that the doctor gave in. I don't know what I would've done if he hadn't. There was no way I was leaving Blake. Not again.

"Jaune, are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Asks Pyrrha. "Maybe you could use a break."

"I need to stay Pyrrha. I can't leave her. I….. I just can't." I say, trying to make her understand how important it is for me to stay.

"Don't worry Pyrrha, we'll watch out for him." Says Yang. Pyrrha smiles at Yang.

"Alright Jaune. Just…call me. If you need anything." Says Pyrrha.

"Thank you." I say.

After I watch my teammates leave, I turn to Blake. I walk to the bedside not being crowded by her teammates. And I wait.

* * *

It's dark again. The shattered moon hangs high outside Blake's hospital window. The light from the hallway does little to brighten the hospital room. I look over at Yang sleeping awkwardly in a chair in the corner. She and I are the only ones left waiting with Blake. Weiss and Ruby left a few hours ago. Weiss's doctor insisted that she go back to her dorm and rest her leg, and Ruby didn't want her to go alone. Yang fell asleep soon after they left. I'm surprised she didn't fall asleep sooner after being awake for who knows how long.

I look back at Blake. I watch as she struggles to breathe. I find myself matching my breathing with hers. I hold my breath, waiting for her body to force her injured chest to draw in more air. My festering guilt only grows the more I watch her, but I can't stop.

I glance over at Yang to make sure she's sound asleep, then I lean in close to Blake. I gently take her injured hand in my, and, without thinking, I use my other hand to brush the hair from her face.

"Blake? I don't know if you can hear me but…. I just wanted to say….I'm sorry." I whisper. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry you were forced to pay for my mistakes. If I hadn't lied, I never would've come to Beacon, and you probably would have been sent on that mission with someone who could actually fight. Someone who could've helped.

I…it should be me in this hospital bed, not you. I wish I could take your place. I wish…. I wish a lot of things. I wish I didn't act like an idiot all the time, maybe then we would've become friends sooner. I would've liked that. I like how you never judge me, how when I'm around you, I know I can just relax and be myself. You don't expect anything more from me, not because you think I'm not capable, but because I'm already enough. And for some reason, that makes me feel like I can be more than I ever thought I could be.

But after you wake up, you probably won't want to spend time with me anymore. Why would you want to after I…. after I failed you. I know I don't deserve to be your friend anymore, and I'm not going to make you go through the trouble of telling me to get lost. I …. I've decided that after you get better, and after I apologize to you, I'm going to go to Ozpin and tell him the truth about my transcripts. I'm going to leave Beacon.

I know you said only cowards run away, but I don't belong here. I never did. And if me running away means that people won't get hurt because if my incompetence, then I think I can live with being a coward."

"No." I freeze at the sound of Blake's raspy voice. I look up at Blake's face, her unbandage eye looks back at me.

"B….Blake?" I sob.

"It…was you? Your voice Jaune." She struggles to speak. "Stop running. You… told….me to stop. So I….did. I came back…. For you." It looks like she's struggling to breathe.

"Blake I ….let me get a doctor." I say. She grasps my hand tighter.

"Don't run Jaune." She mumbles. "Please stay." Her eye starts to close again.

"Blake? Blake!?" I shout, and turn to Yang, who's starting to wake up. "Yang! She's awake!" Yang's eyes fly open and she jumps to her feet.

"What!?" she shouts, slightly confused from just waking up.

"Get the doctor." I order.

"R…Right." Yang runs from the room. I lean over Blake and rest my hand against her cheek.

"Blake. Keep your eyes open. Please stay awake. I've been waiting so long." I whisper. She cracks her eye open and looks at me through her lashes. "That it. Just stay awake a bit longer." Yang stomps back into the room with the doctor. He turns on the light and walks up to Blake.

"Nice to see you awake Miss Belladonna." He says. "Can you tell me where you are?"

"Hospital." She says as the doctor shines a penlight in front of her eye.

"Which hospital?"

"B….Beacon." she says through gritted teeth.

"Are you in much pain?" he asks. Blake shakes her head no. "I need you to be honest Blake. This isn't the time to put on a brave face."

"It…. hurts to breathe." She says.

"That's not surprising given your injuries. I'll send a nurse in with something for the pain." says the doctor. "You're a lucky girl Blake. Most wouldn't have survived the injuries you received."

"I didn't….. I didn't have a choice." She says.

"I wouldn't think so, not with friends like these waiting for you to get better." the doctor smiles. "I'll be back in a moment with a nurse." Blake's eye shifts towards Yang and I as soon as the doctor leaves.

"Hey partner. You gave me a heart attack." Says Yang, the unsteadiness in her voice barely noticeable.

"Sorry." Blake mumbles.

"Just don't let it happen again. okay." Says Yang.

"I'll….try not to make a habit out of it." Blake says. "Is….everyone else….Weiss, are they…"

"Everyone's fine." Says Yang. "Everyone made it out of there in one piece thanks to you." Blake's eye fills with tears.

"Not everyone." she says.

"Hey, you're going to be fine. It'll just take some time to heal." Says Yang. I can tell from the look on Blake's face that she wasn't talking about herself. But who could it be? Weiss is going to be fine, and no one else got hurt. The only person that didn't leave that fight with their life was…Adam. Could she be talking about Adam? But why would she care about him, after everything he did.

"Okay Miss Belladonna." Says the doctor as he walks back in the room with a nurse. "This nurse is going to give you something for the pain. It will probably make you sleep for a while, but that's okay. You're body needs the rest." The nurse injects something into Blake's IV. Blake's eye almost instantly starts to look heavy.

"We'll be here when you wake up Blake." I say.

"Promise." She asks, she speech slurs slightly from the drug she was given.

"I promise."

* * *

Blake's POV

I can feel a warmth on my face that can only come from the sun. For a moment, I think that I must be outside, but the pain in my body reminds me where I really am. Which in turn, reminds me of how I got here. Adam. I can still see him. That look he gave me as the last bit of life left him. Why did he have to look at me like that? Like he still cared about me. Like he remembered the person he once was in his final moment. Why didn't he remember before I….. I killed him.

I force my one functioning eye open in hopes of finding a distraction from my less than pleasant thoughts. The sunlight shines through my window and reflects brightly off the white walls in the room. I try to move my head to look around the room, but a sharp pain in almost every inch of my body forces me to stay still. A groan escapes past my lips before I can stop it.

"Blake?" a soft voice questions. The same voice that sang throughout my mind and pulled me back to the living.

"Jaune?" my voice feels rough against my raw throat.

"You're awake? Are you…. Do you want me to get the doctor?"

"No." I say.

"You…. Are you in pain?" he ask tentatively. His eyes are so wide and honest that I can't even try to lie to him.

"Yes, but it's not as bad as last night." I say, which is true. I'm able to speak without agonizing pain tearing though my chest with each word.

"You shouldn't have to feel any pain at all." Says Jaune.

"A little pain is better than being knocked out by those drugs again." I say.

"I…..if that's what you want." Jaune says as he stands beside my bed, looking at his feet.

"Where's Yang?" I ask. My voice sounds weak. I hate it. But if I have to show weakness in front of someone, than I'm glad it's Jaune. I have never felt ashamed in front of him.

"She was here just a little while ago. So was Weiss and Ruby." he says. "They wanted to stay, but Ozpin called them to his office to talk about something. They made me promise to tell you they said hi if you woke up."

"Just hi?"

"Well, Ruby said hi, Weiss said something I really didn't understand, and Yang said something I don't feel comfortable repeating." Says Jaune. He smiles for a moment, but it quickly fades.

"Good to know that nothing's changed." I say. Jaune doesn't say anything. He just looks at the floor.

"Jaune?" I try to get his attention. He looks up at me with tears in his eyes. His hands are clenched into fists, and his body shakes with each breath he takes.

"I'm sorry Blake." He sobs. I'm taken aback by the intensity rolling off his body and words.

"What?" I ask, confused as to why he would be apologizing to me.

"It's all my fault." He says. "I… left you there. And then….. I was just useless. I couldn't do anything. You nearly died because of me."

"Jaune…that's….. That's just not true." I say. I feel shocked that Jaune is blaming himself for this. Adam and I are the only ones that deserve blame.

"I shouldn't have even been there. I don't belong at Beacon." He says in a tone so sad it breaks my heart.

"Don't say that." I say. I try to reach for him, but my wounded body won't cooperate. "Of course you belong here."

"No. You don't know the truth." He says. "I lied. I lied and you got hurt because of it."

"Jaune, I don't understand what you're talking about." I say.

"I don't know how to fight Blake. I never went to combat school before Beacon. I faked my transcripts so that they would let me in." he says. "You were sent on a mission with a fake who doesn't even have a year of experience. And you paid the price."

I'm at a loss for words at Jaune's admission. It can't be true. Can it? I know Jaune is a bit….different when he fights, but I would never have guessed that he didn't have any training before Beacon. I've seen him fight and take down Grimm with the grace of a skilled fighter.

"I'm going to turn myself into Ozpin. I …I just wanted to tell you sorry first. I don't expect your forgiveness. I don't deserve it." says Jaune. "I wish…. I wish it could've been different." I watch as Jaune walks to the door. It sinks in that he's telling the truth.

"Jaune." I say as he grabs the door handle. He pauses, but he doesn't turn around. "Don't run away." He faces me, his eyes confused. "Don't tell Ozpin the truth. Don't run away. Stay and fight. Please."

"Wh…what?"

"You heard me." I say. He takes a step closer.

"Don't you hate me for what I did?" he asks.

"What happened wasn't you're fault." I say sternly.

"But… I lied on my…"

"That doesn't matter." I say. "My transcript is a lie too. If I had been honest, it would say that I got my training from the White Fang, and I would probably be in jail right now."

"That's different. I don't know how to fight, you do." I say.

"Jaune. I've seen you fight. You're good. Maybe a little rough around the edges, but you can fight." I say.

"Not good enough." He says. "I didn't stand a chance against him."

"Neither did I." I say.

"But you held your own against him the whole time I was gone." Says Jaune. "And in the end, you beat him." Images of Adam's cold dead eyes flash through my mind. I try to push them back so I can focus on making Jaune understand.

"He was playing with me." I say. "He could've killed me instantly, but instead he just toyed with me until I couldn't fight anymore."

"But…..then how did you…"

"I don't know how I beat him." I say softly. "I wasn't really thinking. I just knew I had to try and stop him. I couldn't live with anymore blood on my hands."

"What do you mean?" ask Jaune.

"Adam. He…..it's a long story." I say. "One that I don't feel up to telling."

"If what happened out there wasn't my fault, then it wasn't your fault either." Says Jaune, reading me like an open book. How did he know I was blaming myself? "Adam….you didn't have a choice." My vision starts to blur with tears.

"I really can't talk about this right now." I say.

"Okay. But I'm here for you when you can." Says Jaune.

"You better be." I say. "That means no telling Ozpin the truth. Okay?"

"I…. But after…"

"Do you trust me?" I ask.

"Yes. Of course I do." Jaune says with zero hesitation.

"Then trust me when I say that what happened wasn't your fault Jaune. If it was, I would tell you." I say. "And trust me when I tell you that you belong here."

"I….. I don't know what to say."

"Say you promise not to tell Ozpin." I say. "Promise me you won't run away."

"I promise." He says, a soft small on his lips. And for a moment, I feel a sense of peace stronger than anything the darkness had to offer.

* * *

 **What did you think? Please leave a review!**

 **-Echo Artemis**


	9. Chapter 9

**Cabbage Cabrera, metalknight10, DubWubs, Spangle Jenks, IWEYC, fer gp, and guest.**

 **Thank you all for your reviews and support.**

 **I don't own anything.**

* * *

Jaune's POV

I fall hard and fast. I don't have time to catch myself. The back of my head bounces off the ground, and all the air is forced from my chest. My vision blurs slightly and I gasp as I desperately try to replenish my empty lungs. My body screams for rest, but I don't listen. I jump to my feet and quickly ready my sword and shield. I brace myself and wait for my opponent to strike again. But the strike never comes.

"I think that's enough Jaune." says Pyrrha for the third time since we started sparing.

"No, I can keep going." I say while refusing to lower my guard.

"We've been sparing for more than two hours straight." She says.

"I'm fine. I can keep fighting." I say a bit louder than I mean to, my voice echoing off the walls of the empty training room.

"But we told Ren and Nora that we would meet them for lunch, and we're already late." She say, her voice calm and even.

"They'll be fine without us." I say. "Now come on. Let's do at less one more round."

"But…"

"I said I'm fine!" I shout while finally lowering my guard. My weapon falls to my side. "You don't need to worry about me all the time. If I say I can keep fighting, than I can. Just trust me. Okay!" I instantly feel bad for yelling at her. She's only trying to look out for me.

"I do trust you Jaune." says Pyrrha, her voice soft and sad. "If you say you're fine, then I'm sure you are. But did you ever consider that maybe I'm not."

"Wh…what? What do you mean?" I ask. "What's wrong?"

"I'm tired Jaune." says Pyrrha. "None of us have gotten any real sleep for days. And this was our first day going back to classes since the mission. Over two hours of sparing after a full day of classes on almost no sleep is just too much. You might be fine Jaune, but I need a break."

"I…. I'm so sorry Pyrrha." I say. "I wasn't even thinking about you. That was…. I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize." She walks up and puts a hand on my shoulder. "You've had a lot on your mind lately."

"But that doesn't give me the right to treat you like this." I say. "It's just…. I need to be better. Stronger."

"Because of what happened to Blake." Says Pyrrha.

"I….I just want to be able to protect the people I care about."

"I know Jaune, but becoming a skilled fighter takes time." Says Pyrrha. "It won't happen overnight, especially if you push yourself like this."

"I know. You're right. It's just….. I don't feel like I have the luxury of taking things slow." I say. "I'm so far behind everyone else."

"No, you're not." She says. "You may not see it, but everyone else does. You've become very skilled in a short amount of time. You….you need to stop blaming yourself for what happened to Blake."

"Pyrrha, look. I…" I want to tell her how I really feel. That even though no one blames me for what happened, I will always blame myself. At least a small part of me will. When I confessed to Blake that nothing she said could completely take away the guilt I felt, she just accepted it. She said she wished I didn't feel that way, but she understood. She said she felt the same way about things that happened in her past, and that she didn't have the right to tell me how to feel.

But if I tell Pyrrha that, she won't stop trying to convince me that I'm not at fault. And I don't want that. "I guess you're right. And I am pretty tired too. Why don't we call it a day?"

"I think that's a good idea." She say. Her eyes linger on me like she knows I'm not telling her something, but she doesn't say anything.

"I think I'm going to stop by and see Blake first." I say as we gather our gear. "Do you want to come with me?"

"You go ahead. Ren, Nora, and I went to visit her this morning." She say. "I know her teammates are already there, and I don't want to crowd her."

"I didn't realize you went to see her this morning." I say.

"Yes, we had a nice visit." She says. "Actually, I was surprised not to see you there."

"Yeah. Well, she kind of kicked me out late last night." I say. "She wanted me to get some rest for classes today, and she wouldn't take no for an answer."

"It nice to know that she is feeling well enough to order you around." She chuckles.

"Yeah, the doctor says she's improved a lot for having only woken up a couple of days ago." I say. "But they say she'll need to stay in the hospital for at least another week."

"That's not so bad, considering the severity of her injuries."

"Yeah. I know." I say solemnly.

"I'm sure she'll like having you visit her." she says.

"Yeah, I should probably get over there." I say. A smile breaks out across my face. I'm not sure why.

"I suppose I'll see you later tonight."

"Yeah, I'll see you then." I say. I start walking toward the exit, my stride faster than usual as I think about seeing Blake.

"Jaune." Pyrrha calls out to me and I stop and turn around. I think I see a hint of sadness flash in her eyes.

"Is everything okay?" I ask her.

"Yes. I just….. You care deeply about Blake. Don't you?"

"Of course I do. She's my friend." I say. I see that same bittersweet sadness appear on her face again. It confuses me. "Why did you ask me that?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if you realized it yet." She says with a soft smile.

"Realized what?" I ask.

"It's nothing you need to worry about. I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough." Pyrrha turns and heads for the other exit, waving as she goes. "Tell Blake I say hello."

I'm left standing there feeling completely lost. What was Pyrrha talking about? What haven't I realized, and why did it make her sad? I want to chase after her and get more answers, but I need to get to Blake before it gets too late. Besides, something tells me that Pyrrha isn't going to tell me anymore than she already did. I guess I'll have to figure it out on my own. I sigh and start making my way to the infirmary.

* * *

 **Blake's POV**

I bite my lip and try to ignore the pain as the doctor examines my injuries. He mutters to himself as he pulls the bandages from my chest. I ignore him and instead focus on the sounds of my teammates. They had only arrived a few minutes ago, and through a fit when the doctor made them wait outside so he could give me a checkup. And now I can hear the three of them arguing about something just outside the door.

"Your chest wound is healing nicely." Says the doctor as he covers the injury back up. "How's the pain? Is breathing still difficult?"

"It's much better." I say. The doctor eyes me, waiting for me to elaborate. "It's hard to move around."

"Because of the pain?" he asks.

"Yes. And I get out of breath quickly."

"That's normal. It will take time for you to build up your strength again." he tells me. "Any other complaints."

"Just some headaches."

"That's also normal given your head injury. Just tell me if they get any worse. Alright?"

"I will."

"Okay. Let's take a look at your eye." He slowly peals back the bandages from the right side of my face. The air burns the newly exposed skin. "The cuts and burns around your eye are healing up, but it looks like the wounds will leave some scars."

"Scars don't bother me." I say.

"Most huntresses feel the same way. Unfortunately, scars are a part of the job." He says as he takes out a penlight. He shines it over the right side of my face. I see nothing. "No response." He mumbles with a frown.

"Is it permanent?" I ask, though I already know the answer.

"I'm afraid so." He say apologetically. "Your right eye took a lot of damage from the blast. Too much for your aura to heal. I'm sorry, but you'll be blind in this eye for the rest of your life." I feel my heart drop when he says this. I had known as soon as I woke up that the damage to my eye was beyond repair, I could feel it. But hearing him say it makes it real.

But it feels wrong to get upset over it though. It could've been so much worse. I could've easily lost sight in both eyes, or even have died. Or worse. Jaune could've died. When I think of it like that, being blind in one eye is a small price to pay. But still…..

"Will it affect my ability to fight?" I ask.

"It might at first, but most people who lose their vision in one eye adjust rather quickly." He says while applying a new bandage over my face. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. You're going to be just fine."

"Thank you." I say. I look down at my hands and take a deep breath. I can't let this get to me. I can't change it, so there's no point in getting upset over it.

"I think we're all done here." The doctor say. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." I nod my head, the doctor smiles and turns to leave. Yang, Weiss, and Ruby tumble into my room when he opens the door. The doctor just sighs and continues past them. My three friends are slow to face me. Their body language is tense, and their eyes sad.

"I'm guessing you overheard what the doctor said." I say.

"Sorry Blake." Says Ruby. "We didn't mean to overhear, it just…."

"It's fine Ruby. It saves me the trouble of having to tell you myself." I say.

"Are… How are you doing?" Yang asks awkwardly.

"I'm fine."

"I thought we talked about you hiding the truth." Says Weiss. I smile slightly at the seriousness of Weiss's tone.

"That is the truth." I say. "It's upsetting, but I can deal with it. It could've been worse."

"You're taking this really well." Says Yang suspiciously.

"I'm not going to sit here and cry over something I can't change." I say.

"What can't you change?" asks a new voice. I look up and see Jaune standing in the doorway. A smile tugs at my lips and I suddenly feel a bit more relaxed. He looks around the room and frowns. "What's wrong with everyone?" he asks.

"The doctor was just in here." I tell him. His eyes fill with sorrow and understanding. I had spoken to him last night about thinking that the damage to my eye wasn't going to heal.

"You're eye." There's a lot of emotion in his voice when he speaks, but absolutely no pity. He walks up to me without hesitation and takes my hand in his. "I'm so sorry Blake. I was….really hoping that the doctor would have better news."

"It's fine Jaune." I say.

"No. It's not fine." He looks at me with sadness and determination in his eyes. "But it will be. It will take a lot more to keep you down." The strength in his voice calms me, and I feel reassured. I find myself smiling again.

"Umm….did the doctor say anything else?" asks Ruby, I look away from Jaune for the first time since he entered the room. My teammates are giving me odd looks. Yang is smiling wickedly, Weiss looks somewhere between shocked and appalled, and Ruby looks about as confused as I feel. What's with them?

"The doctor didn't say much else." I say, ignoring their antics. "Just that I'm doing a lot better, but it'll take time to fully heal."

"Well, if you're feeling better, then perhaps we could discuss a few things." says Weiss, her face and tone suddenly becoming rather intense.

"I don't think now is the best time." Says Yang.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"It's nothing that can't wait until later." Says Ruby. "We can talk when you're feeling better."

"Don't treat me like I'm fragile." I say a bit sharply. "I don't want you hiding anything from me just because I'm injured." My teammates exchange looks. I glance up at Jaune. He gives me a confused look, letting me know he doesn't know what's going on either.

"Fine!" Yang sighs and turns to me. "Just remember, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

"Yes she does!" says Weiss.

"Just tell me already." I say, my patience wearing thin. There's a pause. Weiss clears her throat before looking at me.

"When Adam attacked us." Begins Weiss. "What did he mean…..He said he would do to me, what my father did to you. What was he talking about?" I feel my mouth go dry. My heart pounds in my chest as memories flood my mind. I…. I can't tell her. This isn't something she needs to know about.

"I….I can't say." I whisper.

"You have to!" shouts Weiss.

"It's in the past Weiss. There's no point in talking about it." I say.

"Yes there is! We nearly got killed over it! And I have a right to know. My father…. Whatever he did, he did while using the Schnee name. My name. And I need to know what sins my name carries. I need to know what I'm inheriting." Weiss has tears pooling in her eyes. "Please Blake." I still don't want to tell her. I don't want to hurt her, but I can't deny her request. I feel Jaune squeeze my hand, giving me strength.

"Weiss. There's no proof that you're father knew what really happened." I say.

"But he was still involved." She says.

"All I can say for sure is that he gave his head of security an order to do whatever it takes to stop the White Fang. And his head of security at the time, a man named Matis, took the order to heart."

"Matis? He was close to my family. He ate dinner with us every Sunday. He was always kind to me. He died when I was fifteen. He was killed, along with twenty eight other members of our security team. I've never seen my father so angry. He said the White Fang were responsible." Says Weiss.

"Yes. I was there when it happened." I say. Horror spreads over Weiss's face.

"You…. You killed all those people?" she asks.

"No. I did things I wasn't too proud of while I was with the White Fang, but I never killed anyone." I say. Weiss seems to believe that I'm telling the truth.

"Then what really happened?" she asks.

"I…. I was fifteen. The White Fang got some Intel that there were a group of Faunus being held against their will. Adam and I were sent to scout the area…. But it was a trap. A group of well-trained mercenaries were waiting for us. We were outnumbered, so Adam and I retreated. We made it to a cliff. He jumped off first. I was right behind him, but at the last second one of the mercenaries drug me back. They were as skilled as huntsmen, so I didn't last long against them.

They took me to this small camp. Everyone there was wearing the Schnee dust symbol. The mercenaries handed me over to Matis. He took me to a small underground bunker just outside the camp. And that's where I spent the next seventeen days."

"What…..what did he do to you?" Weiss's voice cracks.

"He…..tortured me. He tried to get me to tell him about the White Fang. But I kept silent. So he began recording the torture sessions and he would send them to the White Fang, in hopes that someone there would give up information to save me. But the leader of the White Fang was unwilling to sacrifice the cause for just one person." Weiss starts sobbing, but I don't stop. If I stop now, I won't be able to continue again.

"After seventeen days, I was nearly dead. That's when Adam came. The leader of the White Fang tried to stop him, so Adam killed him and took control of the White Fang, just so he could come and save me. He….. I'd never seen him so angry. So out of control. I wanted him to stop, but I couldn't even speak. Adam slaughtered every person there, including Matis. And then he took me back home. We never spoke about it. And nothing was ever the same after that."

The room is filled with the sound of Weiss's ragged sobbing. Ruby and Yang have tears in their eyes as well. Ruby tries to rest a comforting hand on Weiss's shoulder, but as soon as she touches her, Weiss jumps from her chair and races from the room.

"Weiss!" Ruby shouts and runs after her. Yang looks between me and the door.

"Go after them." I tell her.

"But…."

"I'm fine. I excepted what happened to me a long time ago." I say. "But Weiss and Ruby….. They're struggling right now, and they need you."

"I'll calm them down and bring them back. Then we can all talk." Says Yang. "I'll be back before you know it."

"Thanks Yang."

"No problem partner. I'm here for you. We all are." She turns to Jaune and frowns. "You. Watch Blake's back while I'm gone. Got it."

"Uh… Yeah. Of course." Yang flies out the door before Jaune can finish his answer. I look up at Jaune and try to read his face. His eyes are red with unshed tears, and his face is twisted with conflicting emotions.

"Jaune? Are you okay?" he looks at me and smiles.

"Yeah. I just… I feel bad." He says.

"Why?"

"Because I feel grateful. I feel grateful that Adam saved you, because you wouldn't be here if he didn't. But it kind of feels wrong to feel grateful when he killed all those people." He says.

"I felt the same way when it happened." I say. "Adam killed those people because of me, and I hated that. But I was also so thankful for that nightmare to finally end."

"Well…..no matter what happened. I'm glad he saved you." He says.

"That wasn't the only time Adam saved me. In fact, we both got in the habit of saving each other for a while." I say, my mind wondering through memories. It makes my heart ache. Jaune squeezes my hand again, and it's only then I realize that he hasn't let go since he first walked into the room. But I don't seem to mind. It doesn't feel awkward. It's…. nice, warm, and comforting. Like with just his hand, he's able to pull me from my sadness.

"He meant a lot to you." Says Jaune.

"Yes. Not the person he turned into, but the man he used to be." I feel a tear roll down my face. I don't bother stopping it.

"What was he like?" Jaune asks.

"He…. He was a hero. He saved me, when he didn't have to. He became my friend and my family when I had nothing. He protected me time and time again. He comforted me when I cried, and he taught me how to be strong. He had so much love in his heart. But….his love faded away. That man that we fought, that wasn't the real Adam. Not the one I knew. But….when I ….. when he died. The real Adam….he was there. Just for a second….. and I….. I killed him." I sob. There's nothing I can do to hold the tears back.

Warm arms surround me as Jaune pulls me into a hug. He gently cradles my head against his chest. I instinctively curl up to him. I weep into his shirt and I let his soothing voice comfort me. I hold onto him as tight as I can while I finally let myself mourn the partner I lost so long ago.

* * *

 **Jaune's POV**

Blake's asleep now, but I don't let her go. As the sun sets, I continue holding her close to me. Her breathing is even, and her face now dry of tears. But I can't bring myself to let her go. Her cries still echo in my ears. I could hear her heart breaking.

The pain she feels from killing Adam is overwhelming. But she feels just as much pain knowing that the Adam she once knew died long ago. I wish I could do something for her. I know I can't take her pain away, but maybe I could do something that could help her come to terms with what happened.

My eyes widen as an idea starts to form in my mind. I silently take out my scroll and I send a quick message. I glance down at Blake and smile. My idea is a longshot, but I have to try. For her.

* * *

 **What do you think Jaune has planned? I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts.**

 **-Echo Artemis**


	10. Chapter 10

**Haxler, IWEYC, fer gp.**

 **Thank you all for your reviews and support.**

 **I don't own anything.**

* * *

Blake's POV

The clock in my room seems unusually loud. The sound of the second hand ticking away fills my room, causing my feline ears to twitch in time with it. I try my best to ignore it, but there's nothing else to distract me, and soon I find my gaze drifting back over to the clock. Three eighteen in the afternoon. Less than ten minutes have passed since the last time I looked at it. I let out a frustrated sigh.

I'm usually a very patient person. The White Fang had schooled me in the art of waiting. On more than one occasion, I was assigned missions that required me to wait in one spot for days at a time. And I stayed perched quietly the entire time without complaint. And after months of living in a room with three unpredictable and sometimes volatile girls, I would think my patience would be infinite. But just hours of sitting in my hospital bed staring silently at a clock seems to be my limit.

I should probably feel grateful. The only reason I'm feeling so restless is because I'm feeling better physically. The sharp pain that pulsed through my body has turned into a dull ache, I'm starting to feel like I can breathe properly, and I'm no longer spending all my time sleeping. But now that my mind isn't completely focused on my injuries, I have nothing left to do but think. And I have a lot to think about.

It's been three days since I told my teammates about my gruesome run in with a Schnee security team. Three days since Weiss ran out of my room in tears, and she hasn't been back since. Ruby and Yang have visited multiple times since then, but they've kept the conversation light. When I ask them about Weiss they just tell me not to worry about it. They just keep saying that she needs time and that they're taking care of it. I don't push the issue. I can see the stress in their eyes and the fatigue in their bodies. They've had to deal with a lot since the mission, and I don't want to add to their troubles by making them talk about something they clearly don't want to talk about.

Part of me wishes I had just refused to tell Weiss the truth. I could've lied about what happened. But lying to my team just didn't sound like a smart move. It's upsetting to know that my past has once again divided my team, and brought my friends pain. I just wish I could get out of this hospital bed and help my friends with a problem I created. I'm tired of being confined and being forced to wait for everyone to come to me.

I take a deep breath and lean my head back. Why am I getting so upset? I've been feeling more emotional ever since I woke up in the hospital. The doctor said it's the medication they've been giving me. But even with the medication, I feel like I should be able to control myself a bit better. I'm still shocked at how I completely broke down in front of Jaune a few nights ago. I hate crying, especially when others are watching. But at the time, I didn't care. In fact, I was thankful that he was there. His voice and his touch gently pushed the pain away and lulled me into a peaceful sleep.

When I woke up the next morning and found myself still wrapped in his arms, I was surprised yet again. I thought I would shame or at least embarrassment. But as he smiled down at me and simply said good morning, I only felt peace. We talked for hours that morning. The conversation was serious, but it flowed easily. I've always struggled with talking about myself and how I feel, but it felt effortless as Jaune and I spoke. I've never had a friendship like this before. I don't know why it feels so different.

A sharp knock at my door pulls me from my thoughts.

"Hey partner! Hope I didn't wake you up." Yang walks in and promptly flops onto the end of my bed.

"No. I was already awake." I say.

"Good. I wouldn't want to interrupt your catnap." She smiles.

"How was your day?" I ask, ignoring her bad pun.

"Not too bad. I don't have any school work, so that's awesome." She smiles brightly. "Oh! I brought you something." She reaches behind her and pulls out a book. "Thought you could use another one. With the way you read, I should probably be bring at least ten a day." she says as she hands me the book.

"Thank you Yang." I say as I set the book on the growing stack of novels by my bedside. Everyone's been bring me books to read, and I don't have the heart to tell them that I haven't been able to read any of them.

"Yeah, well you should thank Ruby next time you see her. I wasn't sure what you'd like so she picked it out." Says Yang.

"Where _is_ Ruby?" I ask.

"She…. She's with Weiss. Well…. She went to find Weiss." Yang mumbles.

"What do you mean she went to find Weiss? Is Weiss missing?" I ask.

"No! No she isn't missing. She's been in classes and everything. She just….ran off after classes were over and Ruby went to find her." says Yang.

"Has Weiss talked to you about what happened?" I ask.

"Weiss is just being…..Weiss."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Stop worrying about it Blake. Ruby and I are handling it." Yang says with confidence, but I see her eyes shine with worry.

"Yang." I sigh. "I get that you don't want me to worry, but I'm your partner. Can you just talk to me? Please."

"Blake…..What do you want me to say?" she says, a little defeated.

"The truth would be nice." I tell her. She groans runs her hands over her face.

"You knowing the truth isn't going to make things better." she says.

"But it can't make anything worse." I say.

"I…. I don't know Blake." She sighs. "I don't know what to do. Weiss isn't really even talking to me and Ruby. She just tells us to leave her alone and spends most of her time avoiding us. Ruby's been trying to get through to her but….. She just doesn't know what to say. Ruby's strong, but she's still a kid. It's hard for her to wrap her mind around what you told us. She just doesn't get how someone could hurt another person like that. I just…. I don't know how to help either of them."

"I don't think Ruby will ever truly understand why people hurt others. Her heart is just too pure. It's a good thing." I say.

"I guess you're right. I just hate seeing her upset."

"Like you said, Ruby is strong. She'll be fine. Especially with you there by her side." I say. "And as for Weiss, I wish I knew what was going on in her head. But what I told her…. it's a lot to take in. She needs to deal with it on her own terms. We'll just have to be patient."

"But I don't want to be patient!" Yang growls. "I want to fix everything right now!" I chuckle.

"I understand." I say. "I would do anything to get out of this hospital right now, but that's not how things work."

"I know." She say and shakes her head. "Here I am dumping all my problems on you and you're the one who nearly died. I haven't even asked you how you're doing."

"Yang, we're partners. Your problems are my problems." I say. "And I'm doing fine. I should be out of here in a couple of days."

"That's good. It'll be nice to have you back." She says.

"It'll be nice to be back." I say. Yang laughs.

"It's pretty ironic you know." She says. "Usually it's me trying to force you to talk about what's bugging you. Not the other way around." I smile.

"Yeah. I know." I say. "I've been trying to be more…..open, with you and the team. It's not something that's easy for me to do, but Jaune told me that it's worth the effort. And he was right."

"Speaking of Jaune and being more open." she says with a wide smile. "Are you ready to tell me what's up with you two?"

"Nothing's up with us." I say.

"Come on Blake. Don't play dumb."

"I'm not." I say. "Jaune and I are friends. Why is that so hard for you to understand?" A deep frown forms on Yang's face. She leans in close and stares at me. Making me feel even more confused. Her eyes suddenly widen and she sits back.

"Wow. You really believe that you're telling the truth." She say.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"All I'm saying is that when I see you and Jaune together, you two look like you're more than friends." she say.

"That's….ridiculous." I stutter. "Jaune and I are _just_ friends."

"I'm just telling you what I see." She says. "And I've never seen you look at someone the same way you look at Jaune. And the same goes for him."

"I….Jaune's just a good friend." My face burns as I feel a blush spread over my cheeks.

"Well I'm a good friend. Does that mean your feelings towards me are that same feelings you have towards Jaune?" she asks.

"Well…I…no." I answer honestly. "But that doesn't mean anything. You're two different people, so of course I'm going to feel differently."

"Okay. You win." Says Yang. "If you say you're just friends then I believe you."

"You do?" I ask suspiciously.

"Yes!" she says. "But….. just in case, I think it would be a good idea for you to really think about your feelings towards Jaune."

"Yang I ….."

"Just think about it. Okay." She pleads.

"Fine." I sigh. "If that's what it takes to convince you."

"That's the spirit." She say with a wicked smile on her face. There's a soft knock at the door, and a moment later Jaune steps into the room.

"Hey Jaune! We were just talking about you." Says Yang.

"Really?" says Jaune.

"Ignore her." I tell him as I glare at Yang. She stands up from the bed laughing.

"I'm going to head out. I'll be back later with Ruby and hopefully Weiss." She says.

"Okay." I say quickly, wanting her to leave before she says something humiliating.

"You two play nice." She winks and skips out the door.

"Is she okay?" asks Jaune.

"No." I say. "She's insane." Jaune chuckles as he sits down in the chair beside my bed.

"Sorry I'm late today." He says. "I had to deal with a few things after class."

"What kind of things?" I ask.

"Well… I kind of can't tell you." He says.

"Why not?" I frown.

"It's a surprise."

"You know how I feel about surprises." I say.

"I know, but it kinda needs to be a surprise. I want to tell you, but I think it'd be better if I show you. But I can't show you until you're out of the hospital."

"Alright." I say.

"Alright? You're not going to try and force the truth out of me?" he asks. I smile.

"I trust you Jaune." I say. "If you say you need to wait until you can show me, then I don't mind waiting."

"Thanks…. For trusting me." he says. "And it's not really a surprise, but I brought you something." He takes out the book that I gave him right before the mission.

"Did you finish it?" I ask.

"No. I've been too busy." He says.

"Then you should keep it." I tell him.

"You told me it was one of your favorites. I thought you might like to read it again while you're stuck in bed." he says. "If you can."

"What do mean 'if I can'?" I say.

"I just noticed that you haven't read any of the books we gave you. Which isn't like you at all." He says. I don't say anything. I didn't want to bother him or anyone else with such a small issue. "You want to tell me what's going on?"

"It's nothing." I say. "I just…. I've been having trouble reading."

"Why?"

"My vision gets blurry and I get a headache as soon as I start reading." I say. "The doctor told me it will get better over time. It's just my body adjusting to only seeing out of one eye."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" he frowns.

"Because it isn't a big deal." I say.

"It is to you." He say. "You love reading. And not being able to read, even if it's just for a little while, is a big deal."

"It…. it just seems silly to be upset over something so small." I sigh.

"It's not silly." Says Jaune. "And even if it was, you should tell me anyway. I'm the king of silly, so you know I won't judge you."

"I know." I smile. "Thank you Jaune."

"What are friends for." he say. Friends. Just friends. I care about Jaune a lot, but just as a friend. Right?

" _Stupid Yang._ " I growl under my breath.

"Did you say something?" asks Jaune.

"No. nothing." I say quickly. Jaune can tell I'm lying, but he lets it slide.

"So if you can't read, what've you been doing all day while everyone's in class?" he asks.

"Just….resting." I say.

"That's sounds boring." He says.

"It is." I say. "I wouldn't mind so much if I were somewhere besides a hospital."

"So you don't like hospitals"

"I don't think anyone really _likes_ hospitals." I say. "But being a Faunus makes it more unpleasant."

"Really? How?" he asks.

"My senses are a lot more sensitive than a human's. Including my sense of smell." I say. "Hospitals are always full chemicals and the smell is overwhelming."

"I didn't think about that." he says. "It must be hard to handle."

"I can ignore it most of the time. But after days of sitting here, it feels suffocating." I say. "I just want to walk outside and breathe in some fresh air." Jaune smiles.

"Hold that thought." He says before dashing out of the room. Before I even have time to think about what's happening, he reenters the room. And with him is a wheelchair.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"You mean what are _we_ doing." He grins.

"Okay. What are _we_ doing?" I say with a small smile. His grin is infectious.

"We're going to get you some of that fresh air you wanted." He says.

"I don't think that's a good idea." I say.

"Of course it is." he says. "The doctor cleared you to use the wheelchair just the other day."

"Yes, but only if I stay in my room." I say. "I'm not allowed to leave the hospital yet."

"I didn't know you cared so much about the rules." He says, still smiling. "Are you afraid of getting in trouble?"

"No." I say. "I'm afraid of _you_ getting in trouble."

"What's the worse they could do?" he asks.

"They could ban you from visiting me." I say. His smile finally drops.

"Oh. I didn't think about that." he frowns for a second before smiling again. "I guess I'll just have to sneak in to see you if that happens."

"Jaune…"

"Come on Blake." He says. "Everything will be fine. Trust me." I sigh. I know the responsible thing to do is tell him no. But the thought of being surrounded by fresh air and the joyous smile on Jaune's face makes it impossible to say no.

"Fine." I say, smiling almost as brightly as Jaune.

"Awesome! This will great. I promise." He pushes the wheelchair close to my bed. I start to move on my own, but he stops me. "Don't worry, I got it." before I can protest, he slips one arm around my shoulder and the other beneath my knees. He gently lifts me up. Our eyes lock as he places me in the wheelchair. A deep blush spreads over his face, and I feel my face heating up as well. He quickly stands up straight. "Sorry. I should've asked before lifting you around like that."

"It's fine." I say, my blush already fading. "If I'm being honest, I probably needed the help."

"Well, glad I could help." He says. "Now let's go before we get busted."

"Jaune…"

"I'm joking!" he says. "We'll be back before anyone even realizes you're gone." He pushes the chair out of the room and turns right, nearly running into my doctor.

"You we're saying?" I mumble. The doctor stares at us. Jaune and I hold our breath, waiting to get reprimanded. But after a few awkward moments, the doctor simply sighs and steps out of our way. Jaune slowly starts to push the wheelchair passed the doctor who mutters something about stupid kids.

"See. The doctor didn't even care." Says Jaune.

"Right." I say sarcastically.

"Hey! I call this a win." He says. I just laugh and shake my head.

"Where exactly are we going?" I ask as he pushes me into the elevator.

"The roof." He says. "I'd like to go to the courtyard, but it's kind of crowded. And I know you don't feel like being around a bunch of people right now. So since there's no one on the roof I thought it'd be better."

"Thanks." I say. He just smile's and starts whistling poorly. I smile too. It's been a while since I've seen him so relaxed and happy. It's nice.

The elevator dings and the door slides open. A warm breeze instantly swirls around me. The soft scent of leaves and dirt fills my lungs as I take a greedy breath in. Jaune slowly pushes me up to the railing. I look out across Beacon. The sun shines brightly, bouncing off the buildings and trees. The blue sky has a few soft white clouds floating in it, casting just the right amount of shade. It's a perfect day.

I feel something brush over my arms. I look up to see Jaune wrapping a light blanket around my shoulders. I hold onto it with my good arm and smile up at him. He grins and leans against the railing next to me. We sit in silence for a while. I close my eyes and enjoy the feeling of the warm sunlight dancing over my skin.

"How about a little reading?" says Jaune. I open my eyes and see him holding the same book he brought. "Since you already read it I thought I could pick up where I left off."

"You….You want to read to me?" I ask.

"If that's okay?" he say.

"Umm….sure. That sounds nice." I say.

"Great! I just got to the part where they made it to the top of the cliff." He say as he flips through the pages.

"Jaune." I say. He looks up at me.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." I say. He smiles and starts reading.

As I watch him, I can't help but think about what Yang said. Maybe she's right. I don't have much experience with those kinds of feelings. So maybe I do have some deeper feelings for Jaune, but I'm just too inexperienced in the matter to know for sure.

But as I listen to him read, I realize it doesn't matter. I don't need to analyze my feelings towards him. All I know is that he's important to me, he's happy, and he's here by my side. How could I possibly ask for more?

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review if you'd like to see more.**

 **-Echo Artemis**


	11. Chapter 11

**IWEYC, dragonfighter11, Unholy Prophet0060, Cabbage Cabrera, and guest.**

 **Thank you all for your support.**

 **I don't own anything.**

* * *

Blake's POV

I sit on the edge of my hospital bed. I stay perfectly still, I keep my breathing steady, and work to keep my heart rate under control. I try to appear perfectly calm, despite the storm of emotions raging in my head. But it gets harder to keep up my composed façade as the silence continues to stretch on. I let my eye shift up from the floor to the other occupant in the room, Ozpin. He came to get my report on what happened during the mission.

I had been dreading having to relive in detail what happened, but I knew I didn't have a choice. So when he asked me to tell him what I remembered, I put on a brave face, separating myself from my emotions, and recounted the mission, leaving out only a few more…..sensitive details. I was able to tell him everything without so much as flinching. But now, I feel myself growing agitated under his watchful gaze, hoping he will break the heavy quiet hanging in the room.

"Did….did I say something wrong?" I ask when I can no longer take his lack of response.

"No Blake. You gave a very good account of what happened. It matches with the other reports I was given." He says while standing calmly in front of me. "I just couldn't help but notice that you seemed a bit….distant, when speaking about it."

"Distant?"

"Yes. Which isn't surprising, considering the trauma you endured."

"I'm fine." I say. "All my injuries are almost healed."

"I wasn't talking about your injuries Blake." Ozpin sighs. "Taking someone's life is a weighty burden to bear." I drop my eyes to the floor and swallow the lump forming in my throat.

"I didn't have a choice." I whisper.

"No. You didn't." Ozpin says firmly. "But that doesn't make it any easier to live with."

"Good." I say, looking back up at Ozpin. He raises an eyebrow.

"Why do you say that?" he questions.

"Because I don't want it to be easy. Killing someone should never be easy. I want it to weigh on my soul until that day I die." I try to stay calm but my voice shakes the more I speak.

"Blake, you shouldn't want to punish yourself over this."

"This isn't about punishment, it's about not being a…..a monster."

"What do you mean?" he asks. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.

"You said taking someone's life is a heavy burden to bear, but that isn't the case for everyone. I've seen people killed before. And I've watched their killers simply step over their bodies and continue on like nothing happened." I say. "I have met those who felt nothing when they killed someone, and when I looked into their eyes. It was like staring at a Grimm. Soulless and without remorse. So I'm glad I feel like this. I'm more than willing to carry this burden for the rest of my life. Because the moment it gets easy, is the moment I become nothing more than a Grimm. And that isn't a life I'm willing to lead."

"That's a very interesting view on the matter." Says Ozpin, his face unreadable.

"You don't agree." I say.

"Actually, I do agree with you Blake." He says. "I just think that there's a fine line between not wanting to become a monster, and letting yourself be crushed by your own guilt."

"Then I'll do my best not to cross it." I say. Ozpin smiles.

"I believe that would be for the best." He says as he turns towards the door. "I should be on my way. I don't want to take up anymore of your time. I hear you'll be leaving the hospital today." I can't help but smile at the thought of getting out of here.

"That's the plan." I say.

"Try not push yourself to hard." He says. "And Blake. Have fun."

* * *

 **Jaune's POV**

"I'm not sure this is a good idea." I say. "I don't think she's going to like this."

"Of course she'll like it!" says Yang as she balances on top of a dresser. "How's this Ruby?"

"A little to the left." Ruby says.

"Perhaps Jaune is right." Says Pyrrha. She's standing in the back of RWBY's dorm room along with Ren and Nora. The room is rather small, so there isn't a lot of places to sit. "Blake doesn't strike me as the type who would like a surprise party."

"It's not a surprise party. It's just her friends welcoming her back from a long stay in the hospital." Says Yang. "How about now Ruby?"

"Yes! Perfect!" says Ruby.

"Awesome." Says Yang as she jumps down from the dresser. The six of us then stare at the large banner hanging up on the wall. _**Wecome Hone Bake!**_

"Umm….I think something is missing." I say.

"Like more glitter?" asks Nora.

"More like a couple of L's and maybe and M." says Ren.

"Making a banner isn't as easy as you'd think." Says Ruby. "And we ran out of paint."

"I think it gets the point across." Says Yang with a smile on her face. "Now all we need is Bake….I mean Blake."

I smile at how joyful Yang and Ruby seem to be. They've been having a hard time lately. It's nice to see them smile and laugh. Which is why I agreed to this party. I know Blake will hate being the center of attention, but I also know that she'll be happy to tolerate it when she sees how happy everyone is.

"Do you think she's been released yet?" asks Ruby.

"She should be with the doctor right now." I say. I feel an excited flutter in my chest. I'm happy for Blake. She was thrilled when she got the good news from the doctor last night. So was I. I couldn't even sleep last night. Blake getting out of the hospital feels like a big step for everyone. Like everything is finally starting to move forward again.

"I should head over there soon and pick her up." says Yang. "And I need to take her some clothes so she doesn't have to walk around campus in a flimsy hospital gown."

Ruby and Yang start to argue about something but my scroll starts buzzing, taking my attention away from the conversation. I take it out and look at the screen. It's a message asking me to meet them out in the hallway, sent by…Weiss? Why would she message me? She never has before. I look around the room. Everyone's wrapped up in a conversation and hasn't noticed my surprised reaction to the message.

"I need to go get something, I'll be right back." I tell Pyrrha as I leave. I slip out the door and close it behind me. Weiss is there, leaning against the wall to my right. She looks upset.

"You look awful." I say. She sends me a glare.

"Why did I ever think coming to you for advice was a good idea?" she mutters.

"Sorry. Are you okay?" I ask. The glare drops from her face and she sighs. After a few seconds of silence I go up and lean against the wall next to her. "Blake's being released from the hospital today."

"I heard." she says.

"Are you coming to the party?"

"What party?" she asks.

"Yang and Ruby are throwing Blake a little welcome back party." I say. Weiss huffs and shakes her head.

"Blake will hate that." she says.

"I know. But she'll do it for her team." I tell her. Weiss's eyes start to shine with unshed tears.

"I've made a mistake." She says in a small voice.

"We all make mistakes."

"I don't know how to fix it." she looks up at me.

"Whenever I try to fix a mistake, I always start by saying sorry." I say.

"It's not that simple."

"Sure it is."

"What if they don't forgive me?" she asks.

"Who? Ruby, Yang, and Blake?"

"Of course, who else would it be." she says.

"Why do you need to apologize to them?" she looks at me like I'm an idiot.

"I know they must have told you." Weiss says. "I abandoned them. I haven't even seen Blake in almost a week, and I've hardly spoken to Yang and Ruby. I know I've only added to their problems. They needed me and I checked out."

"They don't think you abandoned them." I say. "They're not angry, they're just worried about you."

"How could they not be angry at me?"

"Weiss. I was there when Blake told us what happened. I get why you would need time to deal with it, and so does your team." Weiss looks down at her hands, a look of shame crosses her face.

"It's more complicated than that." she says. I scratch the back of my head.

"Look, I don't know what's going on in your head. But I do know that hiding out in the hallway isn't going to fix anything." I say. She sigh again and steps away from the wall.

"What time is Blake getting released?" she asks.

"Soon. Yang's getting ready to leave to pick her up." I say.

"Do you think you can hold her off for a little while." asks Weiss. "I'd like to speak to Blake before I talk to the others."

"I think I can manage that." I smile. She clears her throat and tries to stand a bit taller.

"Thank you Jaune."

"No problem." I say as she walks away. I turn back to the door. "Okay, now I just need to figure out how to stop Yang."

* * *

 **Blake's POV**

"Everything checks out." The doctor says as he finishes giving his examination. "You'll need to come back in a week to get your stitches removed and the cast off your arm."

"So I can go?" the doctor smile.

"Yes, as soon as one of your teammates arrive." I want to argue, but there's a knock at the door before I get the chance to open my mouth. "Looks like you won't have to wait." The door opens. I'm expecting Yang or maybe Ruby. I really didn't think it'd be Weiss. It's been a week since I've seen her. She looks exhausted.

"Now that your teammate is here you're free to go whenever you're ready." The doctor tells me before turning to Weiss. "Make sure she doesn't push herself too much, her injuries are still healing."

"I… Of course." Says Weiss.

The doctor says his goodbyes and leaves, and for the second time today I find myself surrounded by a tense silence. Only this time, I don't says anything. I wait for Weiss to start the conversation. It doesn't take long.

"I'm sorry." She says.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." I say immediately, but she shakes her head.

"That's not true. I …I should've come back sooner."

"Weiss I get it you….."

"No. You don't. You don't know." She finally looks up at me. "I've spent days sifting through every Schnee document I could get my hands on, because I …..I wanted to prove you were lying."

"You….you didn't believe me." I say.

"I…I'm sorry. I knew you wouldn't lie about something so…I just didn't want it to be true." She looks down at the floor again.

"So what did you find out?" I ask.

"Not much at first." She says. "I….I ended up going to my sister. She has clearance that I don't. She didn't want to help at first, but I was…..insistent. She did some digging for me, and she sent me the files last night. It was an investigative report, looking into the deaths of the security team at the camp. The investigation turned up a scroll belonging to Matis." Tears start to fall from Weiss's eyes and her voice starts to shake. "The scroll…..it had recordings of you…..when he….." my eyes widen.

"Did you…"

"I didn't watch them." She says quickly. "I didn't have to. The report gave a…..detailed description of the recordings…. I couldn't even make it through a single paragraph."

"Weiss. You…"

"How can you even look at me!" she shouts. "How can you stand being on a team with me, after what my father did to you? You should hate me."

"If we went by that logic, then you should hate me as well." I say.

"What?"

"I was with the White Fang. The SDC did a lot of horrible things against me and other Faunus, But the White Fang did just as many bad things to the Schnee family and other humans." I say. "So if I should hate you because of what your family did, then you should hate me because of what the White Fang did."

"It's not the same." She says.

"You're right. It's not." I say. "I was aware of what the White Fang was doing, and I didn't stop it. But you, you had no idea what was going on."

"Me being ignorant doesn't make it right."

"But it does make you innocent." I say. She stares at me for a moment.

"How….how can you be so calm about this!?" she says.

"I've had years to think about this. You've only had days." I say.

"Blake I…. I don't know what to do. I…..I just don't." Weiss says in a defeated tone. "I…I always knew that my father wasn't the most…..honorable man in the world. But not once did I ever think it was possible that he could….."

"Weiss, the White Fang tried to link your father to what happened, but there was never any proof that he knew what was being done." I say.

"No one employed by my father does anything without him knowing about it." says Weiss. "And if he truly didn't know the details of what Matis was doing, then that means he suspected it would be bad so he distanced himself in order to remain faultless incase anything was ever discovered."

"I wish I could say something that would help, but I know from experience that the only thing that helps is time." I say. "The White Fang was my family. I spent a lot of years in denial, trying to convince myself that the violence was justified. I constantly made excuses for them. And when that wasn't enough, I thought I could change them….Him. Adam. He was leading the White fang down a very dark path. And I truly believed that I could change him. But there was a moment…. A single moment where it all came crashing down. My whole world came to a stop as I realized that there was nothing I could do to stop Adam from being a monster."

"What did you do?" asks Weiss.

"I left." I say. "As soon as I saw the truth, I walked away. I've never felt so lost before. I left the only family I ever knew. I was alone in the world with no plan and no one to turn to."

"How did you know what to do next?" she asks.

"Like I said, I didn't have a plan. I was basically just wondering around aimlessly." I say. "I just happened to see a Huntsmen one day. He was a human, helping out a group of Faunus. It reminded me of what I really wanted. Of what I almost lost sight of. I wanted to make the world a better place for humans and Faunus. So I applied to Beacon. And….well you know the rest."

"So I should just walk away from my family?"

"I think you should do whatever you feel you need to do." I tell her.

"But I don't know what that is!"

"Then wait until you do. Take as much time as you need to figure out what you want." I say. "And while you're doing that, you have Ruby, Yang, and me to rely on."

"Damn right she does!" Weiss and I jump at the sound of a new voice. Yang is standing in the doorway with Ruby. I don't know how I didn't hear them come in.

"What….how long were you standing there!?" Weiss sputters out.

"Long enough." Says Ruby as she approaches Weiss and pulls her into a hug. "You should've come to us sooner. We could've helped."

"I…I'm sorry. I just…"

"Don't be sorry." Says Yang. "Just promise to talk to us next time."

"Of….of course." I can tell Weiss is trying to hold back tears.

"So does this mean we're all talking again?" asks Ruby. Weiss sigh.

"Yes Ruby. It's just…. I'm going to need some time to figure things out." Says Weiss. "But I'll do my best to remain…..present, while I'm working on it."

"Do you feel like going back to the dorm with us?" asks Yang. "We have a little… surprise for Blake." I sigh.

"It's a party isn't it." I groan.

"Who told you?" asks Yang.

"No one told me." I say. "I just now you well enough to guess."

"Well at least try and act surprised when you get there." she says.

"Are you up to going Weiss?" asks Ruby.

"I….I guess so. I shouldn't miss out on anymore team activates." Says Weiss.

"No one asked me if I felt like going or not." I say.

"That's because you don't have a choice. Now get dressed, we're going to be late." Says Yang. I don't bother arguing. Not because I know this is a battle I can't win, but because it's so good to see my teammates together and happy and I don't have the heart to ruin that.

* * *

 **Jaune's POV**

It's a cold night, but the chill in the air is refreshing after spending a few hours crammed into a room with seven other people. But I make a note to keep an eye on Blake to make sure she doesn't get too cold. I glance at Blake, she has a soft smile on her face, despite being tired. She spent most of the party resting on her bed, but she still joined in on all the conversations. I can tell she had a good time, but after a while she said she could use some fresh air, so I volunteered to go with her. Which is how we ended up sitting side by side on the roof yet again.

"So are you happy to be out of the hospital, or did the party make you regret ever leaving?" I ask.

"The party wasn't so bad." She says. "Much better than the hospital."

"It was nice to see Weiss there." I say. "She seemed to have a pretty good time. Even when she yelled at Ruby for eating all the cookies."

"Yeah, I'm glad she was able to relax." Says Blake.

"I saw her earlier, she seemed to be having a pretty rough time."

"We talked a little. I think it might of helped." She says. "But it will still take time."

"She was really worried that you guys wouldn't forgive her." I say. "I'm not sure why she would think that."

"I think that she was having a hard time understanding why I don't blame her for what happened." says Blake.

"I understand that." I say. "If it were me I'd have a hard time not hating every human after…..after being tortured."

"If you think about it rationally, there's no reason to blame Weiss for simply sharing her father's name." says Blake.

"But wasn't it hard to keep that perspective after what you went through." I ask.

"It was. In fact, there were moments that I could've easily gone over the edge. Where I could've let myself be consumed with hate. It would've been simple to let myself follow Adam's lead and start to believe that all humans should die."

"What stopped you?" I ask.

"Something from my past." Says Blake. "Something I didn't tell Weiss about."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I say. Blake looks at me and smiles, but there's a hint of sadness in her eye.

"It was my parents." She says. "They died when I was five, so I don't have many memories of them. But the ones I do have are a constant reminder that Faunus and Humans are meant to live and be treated as equals."

"How did they teach you that when you were so young?"

"My father was a cat Faunus, like me." says Blake. "But my mother, she was a human."

"You…you mean you're half human?" I ask, more than a bit surprised. She nods her head.

"Yes. All of the Faunus traits are dominate, but I'm just as much human as I am Faunus." She says as she gets a faraway look in her eye. "I have memories of them, happy and in love. It was clear that they felt Faunus and humans were equal. If I treat one better than the other, I would be dishonoring their memory. Also, it would be difficult to think of humans as lesser beings since I'm half human."

"Wow, that really gave you a unique prospective." I say.

"I've always been grateful for it." she says. "It helped to stop me from making a terrible mistake more than once."

"I'm grateful too." I say.

"Why?"

"Because it helped shape you into the person you are today." I tell her. "And I'm really grateful I get to be friends with that person."

Blake turns her face from me. I think I see a light blush on her cheeks, but it's too dark to tell for sure. I'm about to ask her if she's okay when she shifts her weight and leans her head against my shoulder. I feel my own face blush as my heart starts beating faster. Before I can think about what I'm doing, I wrap my arm around her shoulders and rest my head on top of hers.

"Thank you Jaune." she whispers, her warm breath dances over the skin on my neck, making me shiver.

"For what?" I ask.

"For a lot of things." she says. I laugh softly into her hair. I can tell she's smiling without even looking at her. And in that moment, I realize I would do anything to keep that smile on her face.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts and suggestions.**

 **-Echo Artemis**


	12. Chapter 12

**AntonSlavik020, HadezPKMN, code R.R, IWEYC, RightHandOfPalpatine, dragonkingofhollow-light, Heliosion, WeirdRaptor, and Guest.**

 **Thank you all for your support. I'm so sorry for the extremely late update. I had to take an impromptu trip to Seattle and I just got back. I didn't have access to my writing so I couldn't post it from there, and I didn't have the time to write something new. Again, I apologize. I will be posting regularly again, and if something does come up again, I will do my best to give you some warning.**

 **I don't own anything.**

* * *

Blake's POV

I wouldn't say I was angry. Frustrated, irritated, aggravated, yes, but not angry. After all, they're my friends, and they're only trying to help. For the past few days I've been resting in our dorm room. Or at least trying to, but Yang, Ruby, and even Weiss have made it close to impossible. They spent every spare moment they had fussing over me, asking me if I needed anything, and bringing me things even when I asked them not to. I don't complain though. Not once. They're only acting like this because they care about me, and honestly, it's rather nice to be surrounded by people who care. But it was still a bit suffocating. That's where Jaune came in.

Every time I thought I couldn't take it anymore, Jaune would show up. It's like he knew exactly when I needed a break. I'm not sure how he knew, but every time I felt like snapping, there would be a knock at the door and a calming smile on the other side. He would somehow convince Yang to let him take me to the roof for some fresh air, and for the next couple of hours I'd have peace.

Sometime we would just sit up there in silence, other times he would read to me, but in the best moments we would talk. Our conversations could get quite deep, sparking friendly debates that would challenge my mind in ways I never felt. A talk with Jaune would almost always leave me either deep in thought or consumed with happiness and laughter, sometimes both. He also helped me have more patience with my teammates.

"Just let them take care of you." He said.

"But most of the things they're doing I can do myself." I said. "I don't know if I can take it anymore."

"You got hurt, and they care about you Blake." He said. The wind rolling over the roof ruffled his hair.

"I know that. But…"

"No Blake, you don't understand what I'm trying to say." his face got serious. "You got hurt. Bad. They thought you were going to die, we all did. They thought they would never get to see you again. But you didn't die. You're here, alive. It feels like a gift, and they don't want to take it for granted. They're just afraid."

"Afraid?"

"When something happens to someone you care for, it makes you realize how fragile life is. It makes you realize that one day, that person might not be here anymore. And so you get scared. Like if you take your eyes off of them for even a second, they might disappear." He told me.

"I…. didn't realize they felt that way." I admitted.

"Didn't you ever have someone close to you get hurt?" he asked.

"Yes. But in the White Fang, you were taught to move on, to not mourn. To leave the weak to become strong on their own." I said.

"Do you still feel that way?"

"I don't think so." I looked away from him. "When I was fighting on the train, there was a moment when I thought Weiss was dead. I felt like my heart was exploding."

"That's what your team felt when you got hurt, and they felt it for more than just a moment."

"Wow." I mumbled. "I should probably just let them do whatever they want then."

"They'll get it out of their systems soon enough." Jaune smiled. "And I'll still stop in every now and then so you can get a break."

"You better." I said.

Jaune and I had that conversation only two days ago. And right now, it's the only thing keeping me from screaming and running out of the room. But like I said, I'm not angry. Not yet.

"No, that's wrong." Says Weiss. "You need to go over then under."

"I've got this! Just let me concentrate." Says Yang.

"Let me try!" says Ruby.

"You already had your chance." Weiss tells her. "It was a mess."

"You guys kept rushing me!" Ruby defends herself.

"Maybe you could…" I try to speak, but again, I'm ignored and interrupted.

"That's because we need to leave in less than ten minutes!" shouts Weiss. I glance up at the clock, she's right. If we don't leave soon we'll be late. Today is my first day back to classes. I'm a little apprehensive. I haven't been out since the mission. I've either been in the infirmary or our dorm, so I haven't seen anyone other than my team and Jaune's.

I got up early to get ready. With my arm still in a cast, it takes a while to get dressed. In the middle of struggling to get my uniform on, my teammates woke up. They practically attacked me. It was a bit embarrassing having my team try and dress me. It took far too long to convince them that I was able to do it on my own. There's some lines I just can't let them cross. However, there is one part of my daily attire that is impossible for me to accomplish with my cast still on. The most important part. My Bow.

When Yang caught me frowning at the black ribbon, she jumped at the chance to help, much to my displeasure. That was thirty minutes ago. As all my teammates have discovered, it's not that easy to perfectly tie a bow around a set of cat ears. And having my sensitive ears poked and pulled on for half an hour is more than pushing me to my limit.

"I think I got it!" Yang states excitedly. I look up at the mirror. I don't know if I should cry or laugh. The bow on my head is crooked and only covers about half of one ear. The four of us watch as the bow slowly slides from my head and onto the floor. "I give up!" Yang throws her hands up in the air.

"Maybe this is a sign." Says Weiss.

"What do you mean 'a sign'?" I ask.

"Maybe you should just stay here and rest one more day." she answers.

"I don't think that's necessary." I say.

"So are you just going to walk around all day without your bow on?" ask Ruby.

"No."

"Well I can't think of any other option." Says Yang as she flops down on my bed. As she sits there a frown forms on her face. "Wait. If you can't tie your own bow and none of us can either, then how have you kept it tied all this time?" all heads turn towards me. I sigh.

"Like I tried to tell you earlier, there _is_ someone who knows how to tie my bow." I say.

"Who?" asks Weiss. As if he was waiting for the perfect moment, I hear a knock at the door. Ruby wastes no time answering it.

"Good morning ladies." Says Jaune, a bright smile on his face.

"Perfect timing." I say, my lips twitch as I try to hold back a smile. Jaune's eyes glance up at my ears.

"I thought you might have some trouble with that this morning." He walks into the room and picks up my discarded ribbon. "How long have they been trying to tie this?"

"Too long." I sigh. He laughs lightly.

"You should've called me." he says.

"I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt." I say.

"Well I'm here now."

"Stop! Just everyone stop for a second." Says Yang. "Are you telling me that _you_ can tie that bow over Blake's ears?" Jaune nods his head. "And you've been doing it this entire time?"

"Well, ever since she got hurt, yeah." says Jaune.

"No. No way. I don't believe it." says Yang, crossing her arms.

"I'm with Yang, this doesn't make any sense." Says Weiss. "How can you, of all people, tie a hair bow?"

"Long story short, I have a lot of sisters." Says Jaune. "I learned a bunch of stuff from them. Sometimes by force. I can do a perfect French braid and don't even get me started on cooking."

"Jaune." I say before he can continue. "I think they get the point."

"Oh, yeah." he blushes a bit. "Anyway, I should probably tie this before we're all late for class." His fingers gently brush through my hair like he's done several times before.

I was just as surprised as the others to learn that Jaune was able to fix my hair. The first time he tied my bow he ended up spending hours telling me tales of his family and all the trouble he would get into with his sisters. I can still only bring myself to believe maybe half of the stories he spun, no matter how much he swore he spoke the truth.

It's odd, I've always hated having my feline ears touched by anyone, but I didn't mind so much with Jaune. I watch him in the mirror as he quickly laces the ribbon around my ears, his fingers only brushing against them a few times, which makes me oddly disappointed. Before I know it, he's finished. He pulls the bow softly to make sure it's secure.

"How's that feel?" he asks. I glance at the flawless bow in the mirror, then I look up at him. I smile.

"Perfect." I say. He smiles back at me. I hear someone clear their throat. I look to my teammates, each of them watching Jaune and me, and I feel myself blush as I realize that I've probably been looking up at Jaune for a few moments too long. I quickly stand up and force the blush from my face. "Thank you Jaune."

"No problem." He says. He looks over at the rest of team RWBY and his smile drops slightly. They're all just sort of….gawking at him. An awkward silence starts to grow in the small room.

"Well, we better get going." I say. "It's almost time for classes to start and I don't want to be late, and I really don't feel like running." That seems to break the silence and everyone starts to scramble for the last few things they need for the day.

* * *

 **Jaune's POV**

I've never felt this way before. I'm not even sure I can put a name to what I'm feeling. It almost the way I feel when I'm stepping into a fight. That rush that pulses through me as my body waits for someone or something to strike. But instead of that fear I always feel when I'm about to be attacked, I feel…. I don't know….angry, and almost eager to fight. And I'm _never_ eager to fight.

This feeling started as soon as my team and Ruby's stepped from the dorms and into the courtyard. It was busy with chatting students walking this way and that. Until they saw us, or more specifically, Blake. People have been talking about our mission ever since we got back. I ignored most of what anyone said. I didn't have time for gossip, and it didn't really bother me. Until now.

I could feel Blake tense beside me. I looked over at her. She continued to walk, shoulders back and her head held high. Even as everyone openly stared at her bandaged face. I could hear people start to whisper as soon as we passed them. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but by the way Blake's bow faintly twitched, I knew that she could hear everything that was being said. Her face remained unreadable, which only meant one thing. She was upset. And so, this new feeling spread like a plague throughout my entire being.

I began sending glares to anyone that even glanced her way. I never thought of myself as a very intimidating person, but as soon as my narrowed eyes locked onto someone, they flinched and looked away. And when anyone began to talk in hushed tones, I would quickly turn to them, making them take a step back and go silent. This went on all day, a fiery burn in my chest spurring me on. If any of my friends noticed my behavior, they did nothing to stop it.

Everyone seems to have gotten the message though. No one even glances our way as we all sit down for lunch. Yet, the feeling I have doesn't go away. I stare down at my food, but I don't eat. My hands are coiled into tight fists on my lap, and I breathe deeply through my nose and try to calm down. It doesn't work. Then, I feel a gentle hand wrap around my fist. I look up and see a bright yellow eye staring at me. She smiles.

"I'm done eating, are you?" Blake asks me. I look down at my tray. All the food on it is untouched. But I have no appetite.

"Yeah, I'm done."

"Do you want to take a walk out in the courtyard with me while everyone else finishes?" she asks.

"Okay." I say without hesitation. Blake stands from her seat.

"We'll be back in a minute." She tells our friends as she starts walking away. I glance back at the table. Our teammate are sending me an array of looks, but I don't have time to sit there and analyze them. Blake's already ten steps ahead of me. I jump up and run after her.

The courtyard to quiet now. Most of the students are either in class or at lunch. Blake doesn't say a word as we walk, but I can feel a sort of pressure rolling off of her. She stops walking after a few minutes. She just stands there, not facing me. I start to say something, but she beats me to it.

"You're not acting like yourself." She says. She slowly turns towards me and looks me in the eye. "Why?"

"I…umm… What?" I stammer. She glares deeply.

"You know what I mean." Her voice steady. I groan and run my hands through my hair.

"I…I don't know what's wrong with me!" I sigh. "I feel like….like I'm being attacked! No….like you're being attacked. All those people looking and talking about you. I could tell it was hurting you. And I felt like I needed to fight back. I _wanted_ to fight back."

"You can't do that Jaune! You can't just walk around scaring people into doing what you want. It's wrong!" Blake shouts.

"How is it wrong?! Whispering about you, upsetting you. That's what's wrong." I yell back.

"So since they're doing something wrong, it's okay to do whatever it takes to stop them as long as it gets you what you want?"

"Yes!" Blake's face fills with sadness as soon as the word leaves my mouth. She takes a step closer to me. When she speaks her voice shakes.

"That's exactly what Adam thought." she whispers. The burning fire in my chest is replaced by ice, and I gasp for breath when I realize what I've done.

"Blake I….I wasn't….I didn't mean….." I fall down to my knees and cover my face. "I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry. After everything you've told me about Adam, and how much pain it brought you to see him want to harm others. I can't believe I…..I just wanted to protect you. I've never wanted to protect someone so much in my entire life." I feel a hand on my face. It moves under my chin and tilts my head up. I come face to face with Blake. She's kneeling right in front of me. She starts wiping tears from my face. I didn't know I was crying.

"I know. I know you want to protect Me." she says kindly. "But you're going about it all wrong."

"Then what way is right?" I ask. "I mean….we're at a combat school. We're being trained to fight back."

"There's nothing wrong with fighting to protect someone, but you can't use fear to protect someone. Fear is an uncontrollable monster, and all monsters, eventually, will turn on you."

"But than what do I use?" I ask.

"Well, what do you normally use when you're protecting someone?" she asks.

"What?"

"What do you feel?" she asks. "Like…..like the day the train crashed into the middle of town and all those civilians were crying for help. How did you feel when you heard those cries?"

"I….." I stop for a moment and think back to that day. "There was this women. She was young. She was cornered by a Beowolf. She was screaming and helpless. It was going to kill her. But when I jumped in front of her and took it down, I remember feeling…..hope."

"Hope?"

"Yeah." I almost smile at the memory of the feeling. "When the Grimm's claws hit my shield instead of her, I felt hope. Hope for the future. Her future. I knew that since I protected her, she would keep on living. That she would wake up tomorrow and continue to live her life anyway she wanted to. I felt hope because I knew that protecting her gave her the opportunity to live. And as long as you're alive, you have the chance to do someone truly great. You have the chance to make tomorrow better." Blake suddenly pulls me into a hug. She holds onto me like her life depends on it.

"Then when you fight. Fight with hope." She says. "Never use fear or anger. That's not who you are. Protect others with hope and love in your heart, because your hope will never turn on you. It will always be the shield you need, and the shield those around you need."

"Okay Blake." I say as I fall into her embrace. "I promise."

We sit like that for a while. Our moment only being interrupted by the shrill ring of a bell, announcing the end of lunch. We jump apart, startled by the noise. Students start to stream out of buildings. I stand up and wipe what's left of the tears from my face, then I hold out a hand to Blake. She takes it and I pull her up off the ground. She dusts off her skirt and schools her features.

"We should go meet up with the others." She says, a soft smile graces her lips.

"Yeah." I say. She starts to walk off but I reach out and grab her hand. She looks up at me. "Are we okay?"

"Yes." she face is genuine and sure.

"I….I need you to know Blake." I look at her deeply. "I'll never be him. No matter what happens. I'll never be Adam. I promise."

"I know that Jaune." Blake's gaze doesn't leave my face. "That's why I…" she pauses for a second, a small sigh escaping her lips. "You're remarkable Jaune, and I trust you more than I can explain."

We walk off together in search for our friends. And when we walk by people and they stare at Blake I try what she suggested. I try to protect her with hope. I stick close to her, put on a big smile and I hope. I hope and imagine a better tomorrow. A few people we pass smile back and wave. I feel Blake relax beside me. She smiles up at me. I'm happy to see that smile, but….. I can't help but feel that there's something that she's holding back from me.

* * *

 **I hope you liked this chapter. I'm sorry it was so late. I don't plan on letting that happen again. Please leave a review. Any and all opinions are greatly appreciated.**

 **-Echo Artemis**


	13. Chapter 13

**IWEYC, Haxler, Spangle Jenks, desdelor97, Unholy Prophet0060, Drangons and Breakfast Food, KingWykkyd57.**

 **Thank you all for your support and reviews. Some of you wanted more details into Blake's past. I wasn't going to go into detail, but if you would like, I could write a bonus chapter of sorts about her past. If you think you would like that, please leave a review telling me.**

* * *

Blake's POV

The combined sensation of the warm sunlight and cool breeze on my skin is so comforting, it almost clears my mind of all the scattered thoughts and feelings that've been consuming me. Yet, even the fresh air of a perfect day can't put my troubles to rest. I sigh deeply and lean back. I open my eyes and scan the area around me.

I'm sitting on a bench in an abandon corner of Beacon's immaculately kept courtyard. Classes are over for the day so there isn't many people around right now. I could sit here in the peace and quiet for hours, but there's somewhere I need to be. Or rather, somewhere I already should be. I was supposed to meet Jaune over twenty minutes ago.

I was on my way to see him when I spotted the bench and decided to sit for a moment, and now, I can't seem to move. I know I should just get up and go, but something inside me is keeping me in place. A thought. A memory. A moment. That moment when Jaune and I were kneeling face to face in the courtyard. The look in his eyes, and the feeling that fell over me. And I realized….. I could love him and he could love me.

"Blake!" I hear the familiar shout of my partner's voice. I watch as she jogs over to me. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Oh….Sorry" I say when I see the hint of worry on her face.

"You left the dorm room like an hour ago saying you were going to meet Jaune and then he calls us saying that you never showed up." Her voice grows louder as she speaks. "I thought something bad happened to you!" I feel guilt start to build up inside me.

"I'm really sorry." I look at the ground. "I just sat down to rest for a minute and…." I don't know how to finish my explanation. I don't want to lie to her, but I'm not sure I feel like revealing the truth. I hear her sigh and she sits down next to me. I glance over at her. She's typing away at her scroll. "What are you doing?"

"Calling off the search, and telling everyone we'll be back soon." She says as she sends her message and then puts her scroll away.

"I didn't mean to worry everyone so much." I tell her.

"I know." The frown that was on her face fades into a smile. "And, well….we might have overreacted."

"Even so, I should've just gone straight to Jaune like I said I was going to." I say.

"Why didn't you?" Yang asks. I look back down towards the ground. "Did something happen between you and Jaune?"

"No…..not really." I mumble.

"What do you mean 'not really'? If he hurt you I'll kick his…"

"He didn't hurt me Yang." I interrupt her before her eyes have a chance to turn red. "It's just…..it's complicated."

"Too complicated to talk about?" she asks. I look away. "You know, you've been acting different for the last few days. Ever since you and Jaune left in the middle of lunch."

"Really?" I thought I was doing a good job at hiding my concerns.

"Just some subtle things, but I hang around you enough to know when something isn't right." She says. "I'm not going to force you to tell me what's wrong, but it might help to talk about it." I look at Yang as she waits for my response, and I realize that Yang is pretty much the only person I can talk to about this. But something tells me I'm going to regret it.

"You were right." I say.

"I usually am, so you're going to have to be a bit more specific." I send Yang a halfhearted glare.

"When I was in the hospital you told me that… that you thought I might have…feelings for Jaune." I say. "And I think you could be right." A flurry of emotions run across Yang's face. She jumps up from the bench and points at me excitedly.

"I knew it! I so totally knew it! Wow! I mean I knew it, but I still feel surprised. You and Jaune! No one could have seen that coming! You two are so different, like _really_ different. But when I watch you two together and you guys…"

"Yang!" I shout. She stops mid-sentence and stares at me. "Stop talking, and Sit. Down." I hiss. She immediately sits. I rub my hand over my face.

"Sorry." She says. "Just….you admitting you're in love with Jaune caught me off guard." I sigh.

"I didn't say I was in love with him." I say. "But I could be, if I let myself."

"Well why don't you? He obviously feels the same way about you." Yang says.

"I don't feel like this is a very good time to start a relationship with anyone." I say. "We're training to become huntresses. I should be focused on that."

"Okay. First, that's a stupid reason. You can't put your life on hold just because you want to be a Huntress. In fact, being a Huntress gives you a reason to never hold anything back. This job we do. It's dangerous, and you never know if today is going to be your last." Says Yang. "And second, that isn't the real reason you're holding back, so what is?"

"Why does it matter?" I ask.

"Because you're my best friend and I want you to be happy." She says sincerely. Her wide caring eyes break down my final defense.

"Have you ever been in love with someone before?" I ask her. I can tell my question catches her off guard, but she quickly bounces back.

"Well…..I've dated a few people, but nothing that serious." She say.

"I've been in love before." I say. "Loving someone…..It does something to you. It changes everything. It makes you want to sacrifice everything for that one person. It changes your goals, your dreams. Being in love with someone is…..terrifying."

"Not if it's the right person." Says Yang.

"You're right. If it's the right person, then it isn't terrifying. It's beautiful and empowering." I say. "But the person I loved before…He wasn't the right person."

"Was it Adam?" Yang asks, she eyes darkening.

"Yes." I say. "At one time I loved him more than anything. And it was painful, exhausting, and heartbreaking."

"So you're afraid of letting yourself fall for Jaune because you don't want to get hurt again?" she asks.

"No. I afraid of hurting Jaune." I say.

"What do you mean?" a puzzled look crosses Yang's face.

"Adam had a dark soul. And he wanted to carry the world on his shoulders and loving him forced all that onto me. " I say. "Like you said, Jaune and I are so different. He's light and pure, and I'm lost in the shadows. I don't want to stain him with my darkness."

"I don't think that would happen." Says Yang.

"It could." I say. "A few days ago, watching Jaune getting so angry at people for my sake…..I've never seen him act like that. It wasn't like him. I just….I don't want to crush him with my burdens the same way Adam crushed me. He deserves to be with someone better."

"He deserves to be with the person he chooses to be with. Someone he has feeling for." Says Yang. "Like you."

"But…"

"But nothing." She says. "Blake…..Jaune isn't you and you're not Adam. Jaune will never be burdened by you because he has too big a heart. And you will never crush Jaune because you are not nearly as dark as you think you are."

"What if you're wrong." I ask.

"That rarely happens." I glare, she smiles. "But if I am, then I promise I'll be there to fix things."

"You make it all sound so simple." I sigh.

"It is. You just got to be brave enough to take a chance." She says. "Now let's get going, you're already super late for your hot date."

"I wouldn't call a doctor's appointment a date." I say.

"Jaune's taking you to get that cast off and the last of your stiches taken out." She says. "Sounds like a hot date to me." I shake my head and hide a smile as I follow Yang back to our dorm. As we walk I think about what she said. The thought that I could hurt Jaune is…unthinkable. But what if he is the right person? Do I take a chance? Should I be brave?

* * *

 **Jaune's POV**

Blake and I sit together in a small cold room in the Beacon infirmary, waiting for the doctor to arrive. Neither of us say anything. I can tell by the look on Blake's face that she's thinking deeply about something, and I've learned it's best to let her sit in silence when she's like this. I don't mind. The silence isn't uncomfortable. At least it isn't for me. I always seem to feel more at peace when I'm around Blake.

"Sorry for the wait." Says the doctor as he quickly enters the room. "I had some other things I had to take care of."

"It's my fault for being so late." Blake says apologetically.

"It's fine, though I thought you would be anxious to get this cast off."

"I am. I just….got caught up with a few things." she says. Blake didn't explain to me why she was so late. She just told me she was sorry and that we could talk about it later.

"Well let's not waste any more time." He says. "Would you like the young man to wait outside?"

"No. He can stay." Blake answers quickly. The doctor smiles and gets to work.

He removes her cast first, it takes longer than I thought it would. He has Blake move her now free arm around in different directions. She seems to have trouble doing it, but the doctor tells her that it will take time to get her strength back and then he gives her a list of exercises to do every day.

Next, he takes out her stitches. He pulls a curtain around the bed, blocking my view of Blake as he works on her chest and back. I can't see Blake, and she doesn't make a sound, but I can sense her discomfort. I can hardly sit still and it feels like it takes forever for the doctor to finish. When the curtain is finally pulled away, Blake is sitting tensely on the bed. She looks at me. I automatically smile. The tension in her shoulders seem to dissipate and she smiles back.

"Okay, now all that's left is to take this bandage off your face." the doctor steps in front of Blake once again obstructing my view of her. I hear the bandage being pulled away. "Everything healed up better than I expected, but there's still some scarring, and like we talked about before, you won't regain sight in the eye."

"I understand." Blake's voice is steady, but cold.

"Alright. I'm going to give you the go ahead to start your training again. But you should start off slow." He says.

"I will." She answers.

"Okay Miss Belladonna, you're free to go." The doctor steps out of my line of sight and leaves the room. My eyes land on Blake. My breath catches in my chest as I stare at her.

A burn scar stretches from underneath the corner of her eye, passed her temple, and fades into her hairline. Several other scars line and dot the skin around her eye, most likely caused by the shrapnel from the gun shot. And then, there's the eye itself. It no longer shimmers with that sharp yellow color it used to. Instead, it's a soft foggy blue. The contrast between her now duel colored eyes is intense. I haven't seen her whole face since that ill-fated mission. And while it pains me intensely to see the scars marring her porcelain skin, only one word comes to mind when I see her face uncovered.

"Beautiful." The word falls quietly from my lips. I don't even realize that I've said it until I see a blush fall over Blake's face. I then feel my own face start to heat up, but I can't say I regret saying it.

"I…..I guess we should go." Blake says quickly as she stands, pretending to have not heard what I said. I should be grateful that she's letting me off the hook so I don't embarrass myself further, but I'm not.

"I meant what I said." I tell her before she can leave the room. She turns around slowly, looking me straight in the eye instead of shying away. "You _are_ beautiful."

"I don't need you to say things like that to Me." she says with a frown. "I honestly don't care how I look. The scars on my face don't bother me. I don't need you're pity." I take a step closer to her, my own face now sporting a frown.

"Why would you say that?" I ask, my tone almost sounds hurt. "You know I wouldn't pity you, and I certainly would never lie to you. If I say something to you it will always be the truth. And I know the scars and your looks don't bother you, but the fact is, Blake Belladonna, you're beautiful. And anyone that says otherwise is a liar." I don't know what's gotten into me. But as I stand just a few inches from Blake and stare at her, I don't feel like the awkward goof I usually am. I feel bold and steady.

I reach my hand out gently move her hair behind her ear. Her hand reaches up and grabs onto mine. She closes her eyes slowly steps forward, resting her head against my chest. Her hand still holds onto mine. My heart is pounding. I do the only thing that feels right. I lean down and kiss the top of her head. I feel her hold tighten on me.

"Jaune?" she whispers into my chest.

"Yeah?"

"Can you promise me something?" she asks.

"Anything." I say with no hesitation. She finally looks up at me, her eyes shine, like she might cry.

"Promise me that you won't ever change. That at your core, you will always be the person you are now."

"You actually like who I am?" I ask with a small laugh. She takes a step back so she can look me in the eye.

"More than you realize." She says.

"But I could be so much better. I'm always messing things up, I'm not strong, and I'm weird, and….Why would you possibly want me to stay like this?" I ask.

"Jaune, you are brave, honest, and noble. In all my life, I've never met a person as kind as you. And anyone who says otherwise is a liar." She smiles slightly. "You are a true hero Jaune, and I never want that to change."

Her hand is still in mine. My heart aches, but I feel happy. I'm at peace, yet I feel excited. I want to cry and laugh all at the same time. And I realize that this is what it must feel like when you fall in love with someone.

I love Blake. I love her. I suddenly don't know what to do. I want to tell her. It seems important that she knows. But I feel something holding me back, or maybe something between us that stops me from moving forward. So instead of telling her how I feel, I say the next best thing.

"I promise. I won't change." She smiles.

"You don't know how much that means to Me." she says, and I remember something. Something that makes me understand why she would have me promise her something like that.

"Actually, I think I do." I say. She raises an eyebrow at my solemn tone. "Blake, remember when I told you I had a surprise for you?"

"Yes."

"If you're up for a walk, I'd like to show you." I say.

"I'd like that." She says. I lead her out of the infirmary and into the cool afternoon air, our hands still locked together.

* * *

 **Blake's POV**

"I don't think Yang would approve of this." I say as Jaune and I walk deeper into the woods.

"Why not?" asks Jaune.

"She's been rather protective of me lately. I'm lucky if she lets me leave our room. If she found out I was walking in the woods outside the safety of Beacon without a weapon, she would kill me." I say as I continue to follow his lead.

"Technically, we're still in Beacon. The woods we're in are protected by the barrier so the chance of running into a Grimm is super low, and I have my weapon just in case." Jaune says with confidence.

"So you won't mind telling Yang about this?" I smile as a fearful look flashes across his face.

"Maybe we could keep this just between us."

"I think that would be for the best." I say. We fall into a comfortable silence as we continue to walk down a small path through the trees. The tension I felt between us at the infirmary is no longer there. I'm not sure if I'm saddened or relieved by that. I do know one thing. If I continue to spend more time with Jaune, there will be no going back for me.

I glance up at him. I smile as I notice that he keeps purposefully putting himself in my line of sight. I didn't even have to say anything to him, he just instinctually knew that having anyone walk in my blind spot makes me uncomfortable.

I reach up and touch my face, my fingers trace the scars up to my eye. It feels odd not having the bandage there. To have nothing covering my eye and yet still not seeing anything. It will take a lot of getting used to. I just hope I'll be able to fight. The doctor said not to worry, but it's still a thought that keeps crossing my mind.

For now, I push thoughts of myself away and focus instead on what's right in front of me. Jaune. He said he had a surprise for me, but the longer we walk the less happy he seems. I can easily sense his tension, his hesitation. I keep my eye on him as we walk. After a few minutes, he comes to a stop.

"What's wrong?" I ask. He looks at me and tries to force a smile.

"You said you didn't like surprises most of the time. And I'm not sure you'll like this one." He says. "It's not a happy surprise. It's just…..it's something that I thought needed to be done. And I hope I didn't cross any lines in doing it." his tension starts to transfer into me as I wonder what this surprise could be.

"What is it?" I ask. He points straight ahead.

"It's just behind that tree." He says. I look up at the huge tree looming in front of us. I look back at Jaune. He gives me a reassuring look. I turn back towards the tree and slowly start to move forward. I cautiously make my way around the tree. I immediately notice a large polished stone sitting at the base of the tree. As I face the stone, I see an inscription engraved onto it. My body goes numb and I fall to my knees as I read the face of the stone.

 _Adam Taurus_

 _The Man Who Saved a Hero_

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 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought, and if you would or wouldn't like the next chapter to be about Blake's past.**

 **-Echo Artemis**


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